Lady in Red Pt. 02 Ch. 12

Applause and cheers lasted several minutes after Jordan had wrapped up her very brief speech. She beamed as she turned and waved in all directions to the adoring crowd.

Eventually, it began to quiet down and the emcee once again spoke to the crowd. "Wow! Was that a great speech, or what! Now it's time to hear from another performer that's donated her time and talent to entertain us today. Give it up for Congresswoman-elect Gwen Anderson!"

Once again, hundreds of thousands of people showed their approval with whistles, cheers, applause and the chant of 'Gwen', 'Gwen', 'Gwen', over and over. Again, the jumbotrons featured a beautiful woman's face as she smiled broadly and waved while she waited for the noise to diminish.

"Thank you! This is a great honor!" managed Gwen once the din abated. "We love our veterans, as well as our active military. You folks are the best. I've been pretty close to a military man the past few years and I've seen what you sacrifice for your country. To that end, Lady in Red Productions is formulating a strategy to upgrade some hospitals around the country that are having financial issues. We're going to help fund them, but with one condition. They will not turn away veterans for any reason, with the exception of being filled to capacity, and no veteran will ever be refused out-patient treatment.

"This is a huge endeavor and it'll take years to accomplish. We've already reached agreements with a hospital in Akron, Ohio and another in Nashville, Tennessee. We'll rehab and modernize them as fast as we can. Then we'll increase the staff and see that veterans that need hospital care in that area receive everything they need, and deserve. That's our promise to you!"

The crowd was caught completely by surprise by the announcement and it took a few seconds to sink in. As understanding swept through the veterans in attendance, a huge roar went out from the audience. Gwen simply smiled and waved as she turned around to face the sea of faces that stretched in every direction before she returned to her seat.

Once again, the emcee waited for the noise to abate. When it finally dulled to a low roar, he began his introduction of the next speaker. "Ladies and Gentlemen, our last speaker needs no introduction. Here he is!"

A Steve approached the microphones, the crowd went crazy. It was immediately obvious that his personal sacrifices had made an impression on every person in attendance. As the ovation continued, Steve grinned and waved. Now and then he'd point to a group and nod, smile, or signal something before moving his gaze on to others. Finally, the audience tired and Steve was able to be heard.

"Thanks! I appreciate it! I understand how you feel. This isn't about me. It's about all of you, all of us! What I did is no more than what every last one of you would've done if you'd been in my place. I've seen many examples of the courage, dedication, determination, and the honor that all of you possess. We're in this together. You're my brothers and sisters. You represent what's right with this country!

"We rode our bikes into town today because we're so damned proud to be seen with our veterans and active military. There's no greater honor than to be recognized as an equal by men and women like those of you here today! What I've done, what we've all done, is no less than what we expect from each other, and from ourselves. It's what we do!"

Steve had to wait over a minute for the cheering to let up. "Forgive me, but I can't let this opportunity go by. I have to thank Lieutenant Chip Martin, a Navy SEAL brother, for pulling my ass out of a real jam. He's right there!" pointed Steve as the camera swung to a red faced Chip as a huge cheer went up.

"Then there's Captain Jason Hunter, Lieutenant Jared White, Lieutenant Naomi Wilson, army veteran Charlie Burns, Ted Anderson, Charlotte DeVries, Billy Marsh, Jordan Quick Burns, and Kate Anderson. These friends and family made a trip to Iraq with the intention of finding me, and bringing me home. Please give them a hand!

Once again, an ovation went up and lasted a long time. "Finally, I need to thank Gwen Anderson. She's incredible. I owe her everything that I am, and everything that I have, including my life. I can't imagine life without her," concluded Steve. "Thanks, everyone! Now, are you ready for some music?"

As applause rang across the National Mall, the band quickly set up their equipment on the small stage located in a sea of humanity. Within ten minutes, the music began.

Jordan and Gwen stepped to the front of the small stage and faced a hug flag flying over the mall. Then they delivered the National Anthem to the very best of their abilities. The huge crowd roared its approval.

Gwen had polled numerous veterans to ask what songs they'd like. The response was inconclusive, so they decided to give the crowd everything they had, mixing some of the early songs they did, as well as to play all of their hits.

It was almost four PM by the time the show began. At seven, there was a twenty minute break before the band returned for another three hours. As the day went on, the crowd increased in numbers. By dusk, it was estimated that nearly a million people were enjoying the show in person and millions more were viewing the concert on the internet. Lady in Red Productions was streaming the concert free over the web.

Near the end of the evening, Gwen performed her most recent hit, 'Woman in Love'. The jumbotron played the video that had accompanied her song when it was released. They utilized a split screen, with the other half showing Gwen as she sang. Tears flowed freely, mostly from the ladies in attendance, as the lyrics and Gwen's vocals created strong emotions in the huge crowd. Then Steve performed 'Please Forgive Me' and even more tears streaked faces. More than a few men were shown on the jumbotron wiping their eyes.

It was approaching eleven by the time Gwen, Jordan, Steve and Charlie joined friends and family in a private dining room at their favorite Washington hotel. Once again, Gwen and Charlotte excused themselves since they had a morning flight and dragged their boyfriends off to bed.

The following Friday, Gwen called Steve from California. "You're practically an uncle! Lisa had a baby girl this morning. They're both doing great. I'll meet you at the hospital in Sparta tonight. I have to go pack. Love you, Big Boy!"

A few hours later, Steve joined Gwen in the maternity ward. "This is the best reason we've ever had to be in this hospital!" proclaimed Gwen as she kissed Steve as her family looked on. "Come with me. Lisa and Jason want to show you their little princess!"

Jason stood and grinned as Steve and Gwen entered the room. The two men shook hands before Steve approached Lisa and the baby sleeping in her arms. Lisa looked pale but her smile lit up the room.

"Here, hold your goddaughter. Aunt Diane already warned me about how you'll want to watch me breast feed her, and that's fine with me. I want you and Gwen to be part of her life forever. Isn't she just perfect?"

"She is!" agreed Steve as he carefully held the infant and smiled broadly. "She's beautiful. It's sure good that she looks like her mom!"

"I agree!" laughed Jason. "It would've been pretty awful if she came out looking like me. But we both know that no Anderson sister could have anything but a beautiful baby, even if they're married to guys like us."

"We happen to think that guys like you look pretty good," insisted Gwen as she took the baby from Steve. "She's so adorable. Doesn't it make you want us to have one of our own, Steve?"

"Actually, it does. You just let me know when you're ready and I'll do my part," assured Steve. "We can't let Lisa and Jason get too far ahead of us, can we?"

"I'm afraid they might, because I have two years of med school left and you're pretty busy," allowed Gwen. "Once we get married, I'm flushing my birth control pills down the toilet. Then we'll catch Lisa and Jason, and maybe even pass them out."

"To be honest, I can't even think about having another baby right now," groaned Lisa. "This isn't a race, although Mom will be happier when you two tie the knot and add to the family. I just want to enjoy Theresa for awhile and not even think about anything else."

"Theresa? What a beautiful name!" exclaimed Gwen. "She even looks like a Theresa."

"Yeah, it's Theresa Paula Hunter," beamed Lisa. "Don't tell Mom. I want that pleasure, but I wanted to let you and Steve hear it first. You're going to be her godparents and she's going to wrap her Uncle Steve around her little finger."

Steve and Gwen spent a joy filled weekend as family and friends stopped by the Anderson's home to congratulate and celebrate the birth of their first grandchild. Sunday afternoon found the entire family, and numerous friends, enjoying an early dinner at Marsh's. Lisa was out of the hospital and sat between Jason and Steve as she held the sleeping baby.

The doors to the private room were left open. The locals knew that was an open invitation to stop by and visit. Lisa beamed as everyone proclaimed that her baby was the prettiest one ever, and how beautiful the mother looked. Gwen was congratulated on her victory and thanked for her efforts to find Steve and bring him home.

Gwen felt a large amount of pride when people spoke of her beautiful niece, or about how they voted for her, but her emotions knew no bounds as she listened to friends and neighbors speak to Steve about the courage he had demonstrated so many times, and the pride he had created in his home town.

"Mom, are you listening to everyone talk to Steve? They absolutely love him! Look at how the men shake his hand and pat his back and how the ladies hug him and cry," pointed out Gwen. "He's becoming a legend."

Half way through the dinner, Ted managed to get everyone's attention when he spoke to Chip. "You appear to have healed quite well. I've noticed that you've been hanging close to Kate and it occurs to me that I haven't taken the time to explain what's expected of a man that dates one of my daughters."

"Gwen! Lisa! Dad's giving Chip "The Talk'. I can't wait to see how Chip takes it," beamed Kate as Chip gave her father his full attention.

"I gave this talk to Steve and to Jason. I have to admit that I've added a few items to the list since I've seen how Steve and Jason conduct themselves, and how they treat my daughters.

"You will not use alcohol to excess, and you will never use drugs. You will always drive safely when Kate is with you. You will treat her as a lady and with respect at all times. You'll also be expected to extend that treatment to her sisters and mother. You will be prepared to risk, or even sacrifice, your life for any of the ladies in the family. You'll follow the excellent examples set by Jason and Steve. We've all learned a lot about what we should expect from men in this family by their actions. Does any of this seem unfair, or too much to ask?"

"Sir, I will do my very best to live up to your expectations. You have an amazing family and I'll treasure every minute I'm allowed to spend with all of you. You're being very reasonable and I'll do my best to follow the examples set by Jason and Steve. I tell you this without hesitation," finished Chip seriously.

"Thanks, Dad!" gushed Kate as she went over and kissed her father's cheek. "You always take care of us girls. These guys know what's expected of them and they'll toe the line. They know how lucky they are."

Diane, Will, Stephanie, and little Billy joined the group as Kate finished speaking. "Sorry, we're late, but Stephanie's plane was delayed. Billy, sit down by your father while Stephanie and I hold your little cousin."

Stephanie beat her mother to the baby and was holding her and smiling down at her. After telling Lisa how beautiful the baby was, Stephanie dropped into Steve's lap and kissed his cheek.

"You've certainly grown up," observed Steve as he held the beautiful young woman. "I haven't seen much of you since you went away to college in Maine. You're still beautiful, maybe even more so than I remember."

"You always say the right things," replied Stephanie with a big smile. "I missed you and Gwen and everybody. I was so worried about you when you had that trouble in Colombia and it was even worse when they thought you had died in Iraq. That's when I realized just how much I loved you. My stupid job kept me from coming back home when Gwen brought you back from Iraq last summer. I only have a week of vacation and I'm using that at Christmas time.

"Would you come and dance with me," asked Steve as he lifted Stephanie from his lap and placed her on her feet.

"Here, while everyone's eating? Sure! I'll dance anytime and anyplace you want," agreed Stephanie. "You know how I love to dance with you."

Steve led her out to the main dining area and over to an area where there were no tables. Soft music always played in the restaurant when the TV's weren't on. Diners watched with interest as Steve took Stephanie in his arms and swayed to the music.

"Steph, it's great seeing you again. I have an ulterior motive for asking you to dance with me. I don't know how much you enjoy your job, but we'd like to offer you a position with Lady in Red Productions. Since Gwen's been elected to Congress, Ashley's going to be running her office in D.C. Our company needs someone to replace her. You'd be doing us a favor if you'd accept the position. Will you consider it?" asked Steve.

"You're asking me to come back home to work for you? Do you think I can handle everything the job requires? I know that Ashley was extremely busy," replied Stephanie as she watched Steve for his reaction.

"Steph, you've got degrees in business and accounting. You're really smart. You work hard, and all of us trust you totally. You can learn the job. It'll be challenging, but you'll enjoy it. We'll pay you quite handsomely and have you in a profit sharing plan. You'll be doing us a big favor," insisted Steve as he pulled Stephanie closer as they danced.

"That's a pretty persuasive argument," admitted Stephanie. "I love when you call me 'Steph', by the way. But you're going to have to offer me more than that to lure me away from spending another winter in Maine."

"We haven't discussed pay, but we can. Tell me what you need and we'll probably agree to it. If it's hours, or vacation time, we're really flexible. We'll do anything within reason. What will it take?" asked Steve.

"Since you've asked," grinned Stephanie as she stopped dancing and smiled up at Steve. "You have to kiss me like you've never kissed me before. I want one nice kiss, and not like I'm a cousin or a teen girl, but like a man kisses a woman. And you have to do it right now, in front of all these people."

Steve grinned briefly before he pulled Stephanie closer and leaned down to kiss her. The diners in the room were watching the scene intently. Then someone noticed that Gwen, Paula and Diane were also watching from the doorway to the private dining room. Gwen's smile told everyone that she wasn't upset.

"I'd say that Steve and Stephanie are doing some serious negotiating," laughed Paula. "Stephanie's so much more self assured and mature than she was when she left for college. I'd hazard a guess that she's accepting Steve's offer right now. They're simply sealing the deal."

Stephanie finally released Steve and stepped back with a big smile. "That's how you negotiate a deal! When do I start? I'll give notice Monday. I'm really looking forward to working under you."

"Don't get carried away," warned Gwen as she came over and hugged Stephanie. "You'll be working for the company, and not under Steve. I have that position covered, thank you very much."

"Now that we've brought on a capable replacement for Ashley, let's go see how little Billy's doing," suggested Steve as he headed back to the table. "That little boy of yours gets bigger and stronger every time I see him, Diane. He's going to be a heart breaker."

"Yes he will, just like his hero," agreed Diane. "He asks about you all of the time. I warned Lisa that you're going to want to watch her breastfeed her baby. It didn't seem to bother her at all."

"That's because we all saw how much you liked showing off in front of Steve when you were nursing," teased Stephanie. "I remember how embarrassing I thought it was at the time. Now I see the attraction. In fact, I think I'm the only woman in the family that hasn't shown Steve her boobs, yet. Now that I'm working under him, I'll have the opportunity to correct that oversight."

"Ashley, I'm getting your old job," announced Stephanie. "How did you like working directly under Steve? Was it hard?"

"Of course it was! It seemed like it was always hard. Did you ever sit on his lap in a hot tub?" asked Ashley with a devilish grin. "It doesn't get any harder than that!"

"I haven't... yet," replied Stephanie, "but you're telling me it's part of my job? I guess I'll have to whatever it takes to earn my pay."

"You've no idea," continued Ashley. "Most of the time, he won't let you even wear a top. It's surprisingly comfortable, even with everything so hard. His abs and pecs will rub against you whenever he moves. As beautiful as you are, I'm sure you'll find it very hard most of the time you're working near Steve."

"Okay, I'll take the job, for sure! Will I have to pay the company to work under Steve?" joked Stephanie. "It sounds like my fantasy position."

"I'm sure it does! It can be quite demanding, but very fulfilling," responded Ashley as she winked at Steve.

"Okay! I don't think we can take one more double entendre," complained Gwen. "Stephanie has apparently agreed to work for our company and keep things running smoothly. She'll be our new go-to girl. She'll handle just about anything that comes up."

"I can't believe you just said that!" laughed Charlotte. "I thought Billy was bad, but the females in this group are even worse. Look at poor Steve. He's almost blushing."

"Don't worry, Steve. I'll handle everything that comes up just fine!" promised Stephanie.

"You realize that your father is sitting right here, don't you?" asked Diane as she glanced at Will and smiled. "I'd forgotten how much fun we have when we're together. I think Asgard will be a great place for this extended family to raise our kids and grandkids."

"Speaking of which, we're having Thanksgiving at our place since it's finished and we're moving in this week," announced Lisa. "Everyone here is invited. Jordan and

Charlie will be moving into their place pretty soon and Mom and Dad should be in before the end of the year."

"When Valhalla is finished, we'll have the big holidays and celebrations there," added Jordan. "It's going to be so nice to have our own home with the neighbors all being family and friends. Steve had a great idea!"

The next week was a busy one for everyone. Gwen returned to medical school, where they had to work very hard to maintain their position in the class. Ashley threw herself into her new job. She interviewed dozens of applicants as she formed her staff. Becky lived in Washington at Ashley's request and assisted her in her efforts. Kate was attending law school at Georgetown, while Naomi and Steve spent long days working for their respective senators.

Evenings often found Steve having dinner with the four women, or any combination of thereof. Steve found himself looking forward to dining with his friends. It made the often tedious political maneuvering less boring. He enjoyed listening to the ladies describe their days and what sort of interesting things had occurred during the day.

Steve was enjoying a meal with all four women one evening when they were approached by a man with a slight limp. Steve knew at a glance that the man was former military by the way he carried himself.