I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so (Victoria)

The fourth of November dawned grey and cloudy, not exactly a surprise because winter was truly on its way but it did nothing o lift the spirits of those working at the offices of Senator Jackson Blake. The notion that soon they might be out of a job did that to people, sun or no sun. Jackson himself had forgotten for a little while what was at stake what with the Newbury couple around but the reprieve had been short lived with himself and Victoria returning to work far to quickly. And it was necessary because in the three days they had stayed away from the work, Judith Jameson had been out campaigning. Digitally enhanced pictures of her wedding were splashed all over the papers and her campaign as played on a loop in most public areas.

Not to be outdone, Victoria had come up with a counter strategy. While their opposition made her presence felt everywhere, Jackson was everywhere. He was on talk shows, he was at carnivals and fiestas, he had eaten every type of cheese Wisconsin had to offer and now his stomach rebelled even at the sight of anything dairy based. Jackson had hung out at malls, in farmer's markets, university grounds, community centers and in a stroke of brilliance, joined both the fire department and the local police on a voluntary bases, being photographed out and about with all the men in uniform to straighten his platform of a country governed by the rule of law.

And their efforts had paid off. Maggie had received the latest numbers from Politico that morning saying the race was too close to call. Some pundits made good cases for Jackson and his ability to engage the youth while others lauded Judith's subtle, sexual appeal towards middle aged white males. As was typical of the news cycle in America, no one wasted time on actual policy, boiling the elections down to a popularity contest and hedging a best bet when no clear winner emerged. Though if Jackson s honest, his and Judith's race was small fish, the news cycle had to focus on the blue majority that controlled the House and the Senate. With any luck, some of those blue seats would go red and he would get some damn control back at his job.

While the rest of the office cheered at Maggie's news, Jackson understood it meant nothing now. It was the final day, no more campaigning. Now they had to just take the chips as they fell. Everyone had tried their best and if they didn't make it, it just meant he wasn't good enough. That was not a thought he was willing to stay with the whole day so he bid the girls goodbye and sped off towards the airport where Tessa Gray had just touched down.

The politician had made up his min weeks ago. Regardless of the results, he was going to go pubic with Tessa. They had been dating for over a year now and she had kept his secret. She had funded him and she had always made him feel as if she could do anything. She deserved to have herself be acknowledged by his side. And he also wanted to have a better relationship with little Dominique who had lost a father figure in the last year and a half. When Jackson had told Tessa as much over the phone, the Fox executive had been overjoyed, promising a variety of rewards Jackson intended to collect on as soon as he had her inside a closed bedroom. Picking ehr up from the air port, he drove ehr straight tot eh big house, glad for once to not have to enter is considerable chambers alone. For the nest few hours, he forgot all about teh race, Tessa was very good at that.

Over dinner, they finally began to talking in earnest, about future plans, about what would happen if he won or lost. Jackson wasn't stupid enough to believe he had an executive position waiting for him a Fox with a nine figure salary because of his accomplishments alone. Tessa was simply giving him a way out of politics if he wanted one. Her proposition made sense. It would mean he could move to LA and be closer to her. On the other hand if he won, he would have to stay here and they would have to work out something else.

Dominique had made a cute video with her friends wishing him good luck, a video that featured a couple of other American students at Hogwarts. Jackson watched proudly as she stood between a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff, telling everyone about her Uncle Jackson's race. The brunette on the left looked familiar but Jackson couldn't place here so Tessa supplied that both girls flanking her daughter were child models. Dinner concluded in good spirits and they returned to bed cone more, resuming the work on stress relief and forgetting what awaited them tomorrow.

Jackson had no idea how much or little he slept. He had no clear memory of falling asleep though eh knew he'd done so curled up to Tessa. When he woke up, the digital alarm close on his bedside showed seven minutes past two. Definitely too early to be awake.

And yet he'd been dreaming. He must have lost the election in his dreams because he wasn't himself. He had a much better office than he worked in now, he had a secretary who had a much better office than his. He had worn suits the likes of which only Wyatt Jameson could afford and he had a jet plane at his disposal. He had taken the job in LA and made more money than he would be able to count in a lifetime. And when he'd turned around to call on his Princess, she hadn't been there. The man had woken with a start, only one thought on his mind.

He'd lost.

Upset with himself for letting the stupid dream rattle him, the man extricated himself gently from Tessa's hold, leaving her sleeping as he padded softly over to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. It wasn't fair on Tessa, he reflected as he studied his own bloodshot gaze in the mirror. The older witch was only trying to help, comforting him with the knowledge that he had options should this not work out.

It was absolutely unfair to compare her to a person who would never even consider the option that Jackson would lose.

Jackson existed the bathroom far too awake to even think about going back to sleep. There as no way he would be able to close his eyes now. For a brief second, he entertained the thought of waking Tessa to keep him company but the nation vanished as soon as it occurred. Instead, he walked over to his desk where his laptop rested, resolutely shut to avoid him checking for updates when he should be sleeping. Ignoring the machine, he reached for the memo pad to its right, hastily jotting down a note.

"Going for a quick run, sleep well. J x"

There, he had written it down, and he needed it to be true. o grabbing a spare T shirt and a pair of track pants, the wizard quickly changed, only stopping to grab his jacket on the way ut because it was cold. Yes, it was just the cold that prompted the last act, nothing else. Jackson kept his word all the way to the main gate of the estate, running the considerable length of the front lawn towards the wrought iron structure. Why had he invested in a property so cumbersome and grand, it spoke nothing to his personality. An these days it was only a place for entertaining.

Home would always be that tiny studio out west.

Home would always be that tiny person out west.

Not wanting to make any noise trying to properly open the door, Jackson did something he hadn't done in a while. The thirty something year old wizard climbed over his own front gate like a thief in the night, clearing the premise with an exhilarating leap that had his blood pumping anew. Having cleared the property, the man raised a fist in quiet jubilation before he vanished on the spot.

Appearing on the other side of town, outside a small studio apartment that would always hold a special place in his esteem. It didn't occur to Jackson that the hour was not sociable or that Victoria might be sleeping. Nothing struck him as he reached to ring the doorbell, only focused on thing.

He had to be with someone who believed in his victory more than he did, and there was only one Princess for that job.

________________________________________________

Come Plot With Me <3

I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so (Victoria) Rsz_mi10

I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so (Victoria) Rsz_ja12

I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so (Victoria) Rsz_rs13

It seemed like a life time had passed since Victoria's parents had left America once more, though in truth it had only been a couple of weeks. Work had not been kind when Jackson and Victoria had graced the office with their presence once more, only doubling down on their time, and keeping them from heading back to their homes for enough slumber each evening to make it all feel less stressful.

Keeping on top of everything Jackson had to do, and ensuring they responded to each and every remark thrown in the politician's path in a timely -- but also not too quick -- manner was a juggling act. Ensuring Jackson was prepped for every meeting, talk show, public appearance, or simply home run was a job for the whole team, and so far... everything was running smoothly.

There were times it came much too close to believe it was all going to work out fine, but Jackson was their biggest asset, and he knew how to work the audience they were playing for, and he was doing it so, so well. The polls were still tightly wound with Judith's, not giving anything away to the team each evening before they retired to their family homes, but Victoria held fast in her belief.

Jackson would win.

There was no part of Victoria that believed otherwise. Why? The man was made for success. He had a team hell bent on making sure he won, and there was nobody in this world that deserved it more than Jackson Blake. The belief remained in tact, even when the polls dipped slightly behind Judith's, because so far, Jackson had not given Victoria any reason to believe that he would not pull through on all the promises he'd made so far.

Worry was getting to Jackson, though, she could see it in his demeanour, in his eyes when they became unfocused for even a millisecond as he stood listening to the rest of the team speaking, or when he thought no one was looking. The small witch would appear in those moments to gently nudge him back in to the conversation, or to deposit one of the vastly unhealthy array of snacks that had accumulated from the stress of the rest of the office. The subtle notion that everything was going to be just fine would leave Victoria's lips before she flitted away to her work, and picking up on anything they could tap in to to try to give Jackson an edge.

Everything had been exploited to its full potential.

There was no where left to turn as the day before the elections came to a close and everyone left for the evening after giving Jackson a rousing reminder of why he deserved it all. Victoria hadn't needed to add anything more as she bid Jackson goodbye. He already knew she believed in him. The knowledge of where the man was going had left her gripped with painful knots in the pit of her stomach after she'd released him from the hug she'd initiated at the end of the evening. Jackson hadn't looked back as he hurried to his car, and Victoria had turned back to her desk to get more work done whilst the night was still young.

It was almost eleven by the time the witch arrived home. Thoroughly exhausted from the weeks of preparation, Victoria had barely managed a conversation with George that evening as she moved up the stairs to her apartment. The bubble bath filled with lavender had been enough to made the young witch relax in to the warm depths for a good hour, and though she felt relaxed, it would take more than a hot bath to work the kinks from her back and shoulders.

Midnight came and went somewhere in between the bath and changing in to her pyjamas, and the news channels were filled with the excitement of the election, speculating about who would win where, and what it would mean for the seats in the White House. With a blue majority now, Jackson needed a good overhaul in order that he could have the freedom to do what he wanted with Milwaukee, but nobody was ready to suggest whether they thought this would happen.

On that much, Victoria was sceptical, but not of who would be sitting in the offices here.

Hot chocolate had been made after Victoria had draped her fluffy white and pink dressing gown around herself, and then she'd retired to the sofa to watch the news anchors playing tit for tat with the politicians going for their respective places in government the next day. She could have pretended to sleep, but Victoria was too worried about the man across town and the nervous state he might be in.

Though, she reminded herself as she sipped her hot chocolate, he had company. Tessa would likely be keeping his mind off of such things. Tessa was there for him.

Not her.

The small hours of the morning grew, and as the clock struck one, the growl of the small witch's stomach denoted she'd forgotten to eat that evening. Hurrying to the kitchen and locating the 'hidden' packet of biscuits -- which required climbing atop the kitchen counter to retrieve them from the top shelf -- Victoria had settled in front of the TV once more.

She should sleep, of course, she was due back in the office first thing in the morning with the team. Jackson would need her on top form for any and all outcomes from the elections. But the idea of sleep right now was not one that was welcome. Half a packet of biscuits was the comfort for the witch, not even realising she'd gotten through that many until she'd looked down at how her hand got lost in the packet by this time. Berating herself for eating so many, Victoria had placed them upon the coffee table and sat back in the sofa, eyes still hungrily reading the side bars of stats that flashed on the screen.

Ding. Dong.

The sound of the doorbell made Victoria's whole body jump out of it's skin, awakening her back to the reality of the moment. It was gone two in the morning. Nobody should have been here... Grabbing her phone, Victoria checked for messages, but found none.

Swapping her phone for her wand, the witch moved to the front door before pushing herself up on her toes to look through the peep hole. It took a moment to focus on the image outside, another to convince herself that the form outside was real, and then one more to pull the locks undone, and open the door.

"Jackson?" The witch acknowledged, the smile lighting up her features momentarily before she realised both the time, and the fact he should not be here. He should have been at home with Tessa. "Are you okay? Where's Tessa?" Victoria asked, automatically stepping aside to allow the man entry to the apartment.

Then, focusing on the other important things in the man's life, Victoria continued. "Did we forget something at the office? I can change and we can go right now if you need me to. I wasn't asleep anyway." She explained, still waiting for Jackson to explain himself, but trying to work it all out as best she could.

Jackson was not supposed to be here.

And yet, selfishly, Victoria couldn't say that she was sorry he was here.

________________________________________________

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It was as if a thousand pounds were lifted off his shoulders when the door opened to reveal the miniature witch standing in her dressing gown. The world started going blurry around the edges until all he could see was her own surprised yet welcoming face. In a daze, the man walked into his old apartment, the comfort flowing through his veins like warm blood after a frozen night out. She was saying something about the office but that wasn't important. He wanted to tell her he couldn't sleep but somehow, even that wasn't important.

Unable to form any actual words, the man settled for shaking his head. At that moment, he didn't have any answers for her questions, he was just glad to be here, back where it felt like home and there was someone who believed he could never lose even if he did so tomorrow.

Standing there in her living room, his gaze flickered towards the silent TV screen, taking in the blurry news ticks designed to give important information in short bursts. His name was there somewhere, so was Judith's but Jackson only saw the glaring date. Election day was no longer tomorrow.

It was today.

Helplessly, the man opened up his arms in a gesture familiar to ehr from two years ago. Elections 2024, they had been out on the balcony in the freezing cold, confessing their secrets and sounding out their worst fears. Back then, Victoria was the only one who could have made him feel there was still something left to fight for.

Jackson Blake needed that feeling again.

He felt the witch come to him like oxygen, pressing her soft body against his as her arms worked to encircle his waist. This, this was what he'd needed all day and he hadn't realized it. As he crumpled into the Goblin, almost buckling her over under his considerable height and weight, life slowly returned to every part of him, working its way from his numb, cold fingers to his freezing sockless feet. Jackson found himself breathing in lungfuls of the scent of her hair to remind himself what was important.

And at that moment, only one thing was.

To her credit, Victoria didn't stumble once despite how much he leaned on her. nor did she push him away or express any form of discomfort. The only sound she made was a slight gasp when he bent down slightly to pick her up, lifting her as easily as he would have a child. Dark onyx eyes met hers to seek permission and once granted, the wizard carried her into his old bedroom. Jackson had long learned to live with the feminine decor it now boasted but tonight it didn't matter.

Gently laying her down on the bed, Jackson brought up the covers to wrap her safely within. Once sure she was snuggled securely, the politician climbed in himself, reaching possessively to draw her back to him, desperately feeding off of her body heat as he held her close.

She didn't ask any questions, which was fitting because he didn't have any answers. He didn't know what he was doing here or what happened from here on. All he knew was that right now, the only person he needed in his arms was Victoria Newbury, come what may.

________________________________________________

Come Plot With Me <3

No answers came to the questions that Victoria posed as the man stepped in to the apartment, allowing her to close the door -- and then lock it out of habit -- behind him. Only then did the witch notice the man's bare feet that looked a little too red, and the way Jackson held himself in a manner that denoted he'd gotten cold.

The man didn't look terrified, didn't look as if there was an emergency, and as he didn't speak of one, Victoria came to the conclusion without him needing to speak of it. There was nothing wrong, nothing that she could fix right in this moment, or that needed her attention. Jackson was worrying over the elections, nothing more, nothing less. As his arms opened to her, the witch moved silently in to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and holding him as tightly as she could manage as he sagged against her.

Her hand moved lightly up and down the man's back, trying to both soothe and warm him as they stood together in silence. Conveying that everything was going to be alright, and that he could relax now. Slowly, the tension seeped from the man's body, much like the coldness alleviated itself from the man, Victoria remained pressed to the man's chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat coming down to it's normal rate. Closing her eyes against the world, the witch gently wished for this to be real, for this not to be a dream...

The world shifted, emanating a soft gasp from the witch's lips.

Victoria's eyes flashed open to find Jackson still very much here, still in her apartment, looking for permission he'd never needed to ask her for, but that came in the form of a single, barely visible nod. Jackson's arms easily lifted her from the spot, cradling her to him as he moved across the living room with no words. The weightlessness Victoria felt as she watched him from that position would never be duplicated by another, nor would the softness with which Jackson deposited her in bed. He tucked her in carefully, and it took almost every ounce of her being not to reach out and stop Jackson from leaving her.

But the politician didn't leave, instead climbing in to the bed beside her. His arm curled neatly around her slender frame, drawing her back to his chest. Still no words came from Jackson's lips as Victoria's hands carefully linked themselves to the one that had wrapped itself protectively around her in that moment. If Jackson didn't want to talk, Victoria would not force him to, and nor did she as she waited for the sound of Jackson's breathing to even out in to sleep.

Only when the witch was sure Jackson was soundly asleep did she close her own eyes again, allowing sleep to take her away in the knowledge Jackson was safe beside her.

***

How many hours Victoria had truly slept that morning would remain to be seen. The witch had blinked blearily awake to the sound of her alarm, cringing against the sharp noise until it was shut off. For a moment her memory didn't serve her right, but the shift of her weight had brought forth the familiar minty smell of Jackson's toiletries that she would know anywhere.

"Jackson?" Victoria called, sitting bolt upright and looking to her left where the man had been before she'd fallen asleep.

Only to find an empty bed.

Hurrying out of bed, the witch moved through to the living room to find it empty, the kitchen empty, and the bathroom door still very much open.

He was gone.

The witch let out a soft sigh as she leant against the door frame, berating herself for thinking... what had she been thinking? Jackson Blake did not have the same feelings for her as she had for him. He was not expected to stay the night, or still be here in the morning. Just because he'd arrived in the early hours of the morning without an explanation and had pulled her in to an embrace didn't mean anything. He'd just needed her quiet support, nothing more.

Breakfast had barely registered to the witch before she'd made herself ready for the day of the elections. The pant suit she donned sported the red of Jackson's party, and as the witch left the apartment for the Uber that morning, she gently reminded George to make sure he put in his vote -- no matter who he was voting for -- today, because it was important.

The ride to the office had not nearly been long enough for Victoria to catch up on the news that morning, especially with her quick stop at the Polling Station to seal her vote for Jackson that day. The nervous energy in the office was palpable as she hurried inside, quickly emptying all the cash in her purse to the office's runner and instructing him to get coffee, doughnuts, and as many sweet treats as her money could manage and bring them in to the meeting room, stat.

The run down with what else had gone on was quick to catch up, though nothing was concrete, all was hearsay. The lawyer was simply running over everything they had left to do, ensuring that they had thought of everything possible. All of the cars they had available were out to help people to and from the polling stations to ensure all the voters who weren't able to travel on their own could, and the local channels were talking about Jackson's campaign just as much as Judith's money had bought her air time.

There was nothing more they could do as they waited.

Jackson's speeches were prepared for the following morning, no matter which outcome came out in the early hours of the morning. The acceptance speech printed on their finest paper, because Victoria would be damned if she allowed words of commiserations to be hailed with as much importance. She had confidence, they would not need the unprinted speech.

The hours wore on, the number of votes suspected to have been cast going up and up on the graphs being shown. Nervous chatter was all they had as they kept waiting.

He will win, Victoria kept telling herself as she caught Jackson staring at the TVs and trying to determine the outcome that would not present itself for hours yet.

He has done everything, he must win.

***

The polls had closed just over four hours ago now, Victoria reflected as they sat in Jackson's favourite pizzeria in the city. Everyone had gathered after the polls had closed, and after two hours of sitting and waiting with jittery chatter, and too much nervous energy to relax, Jackson had suggested they go for something to eat. The agreement had come easily, and for the last hour and a half, the group that had not managed to calm down had devoured more pizza than was good for them. Everyone had sunk back in to their chairs, not knowing what to say to one another, and the impending worry of the evening was just growing.

Talk was still going around, especially that of the arrival of one Tessa Greene. The Fox owner had been a welcome influence to chats, their sponsor, and the woman currently paying all their salaries fit in the group well with her talk of the elections and how she was sure Jackson had done great, no matter the outcome.

Victoria had wanted to correct her, tell Tessa that Jackson would win, without a doubt, but the younger witch hadn't been able to do so.

Instead Victoria had been sat quietly in the corner of the booth, sipping the diet coke that had long since gone flat from the abundance of ice in her glass, checking her phone repeatedly for the confirmation of what she knew.

Jackson would win, there was no other outcome that she could allow.

________________________________________________

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Jackson wasn't entirely sure when he woke up but it couldn't be too far after the crack of dawn. He had gotten three hours of sleep maybe but that sleep had achieved something nothing else had. He woke up well rested.

And with a speedy realization of what he had done.

The Princess was still asleep, curled into him as he was the one protecting her instead of the other way around. It took every ounce of self flagellation he had to slowly move his arms away from her. In the end, he managed to slip out as the pink of dawn was spreading, apperating in front of a confused George in his haste to get back tot eh big house.

Luckily, Tessa had slept through the night, his note on his desk remainder unseen. Taking it up, Jackson crumpled it before flinging it into the trash but his guilt was not so easily gotten rid of. For the next hour, he was in the kitchen making scrambled eggs, pancakes and even attempting bacon. Both coffee and tea brewed in separate kettles while orange juice chilled in a jug on the counter, Jackson using seem of the brand new utensils and appliances Sasha had originally bought for the first time. By the time Tessa had meandered her way downstairs, she would find a full breakfast spread.

Since the campaigning period was over, they could take their time. The man tried to include her on everything and she was supportive as always. The witch kept reminding him that he would be okay no matter what the outcome until finally Jackson had to excuse himself to head to the office. Tessa would join him at the pizza place later where the victory party or concession speech would take place. Jackson had figured either way, lots of pizza would be consumed and that was never a bad thing.

Despite the fact that he arrived at only a quarter past ten, the entire office save their running staff was in. Mac and Victoria ran a tight ship, he realized as he saw all the junk food on offer to tempt in everyone who didn't officially have to work today. While they weren't campaigning, Sloan was still devouring every number coming her way and Maggie along with Jenna were monitoring social media like a hawk on steroids. CNN, Fox and MSNBC ran simultaneously on the large flat screens that had temporarily taken over the office soft boards and one news anchor or expert guest after the other was predicting what the turnout would be like. Jackson briefly caught a mention of Tessa in one of those segments, stating she was in Wisconsin cheering fora red wave.

Early exit polls began at six, which was their cue to move. Cara were waiting to take him and the girls, and the runners and the volunteers to the pizza place where more well wishers waited. In an effort to go out with a bang, Jackson had told his staff to bring their families as well for teh first time since hiring them, the politician met the people his staff went home to. the chatting around helped alleviate some tension, though most of it was taken care of by having Victoria at his side, introducing him to this or that person. How she managed to keep track of all heir colleagues friends, significant others and children, Jackson would never know. Probably more of that dark magic she used.

Tessa arrived just after eight, looking pretty as a picture and well rested amidst a crowd of frenzied crowded around phone and laptops. The party had meant to be fun but once the children were deposited in the ball pit and the menfolk squared away with non alcoholic drinks to one corner, Maggie had set up a workstation consisting of multiple tables while Mac, Kendra, Victoria and Sloan had rushed to open their laptops to different sites. So far, the exit polls were not boding well for Jackson's party and the man couldn't help but feel a trend coming on.

He might actually lose this one.

"And make sure there are more red balloons then blue," Mac screeched into her phone while Victoria handed him his victory speech to read over. If all these women thought he could win... Looking over at Tessa who was chatting with Maggie's boyfriend, the man tried to find some encouragement behind the bland smile and failed.

And hen it happened.

The Milwaukee news being streamed live on Jenna's phone and projected on a side wall o the pizzeria made the announcement. "Initial counting has just concluded with a string turnout for both candidates. We want to remind our viewers that should he votes conclude within the margin of error, an automatic recount will be triggered..."

Suddenly, Victoria was at his side, the man only realizing it when ehr small hand slipped into his. Jackson's eyes were tried on he projected image of the generic blonde who would decide his fate. Phones were ringing in the background with not enough people to answer them and online pages were being refreshed every mono second.

And then it happened.

"From early results, the votes are stacking up for Judith Jameson who ran on the platform of continuing her husband's good work... Mrs. Jameson who was running against Senator Jackson Blake received a large population of the male, white, middle class vote making her the first..."

This was it.

They had lost.

Despite everything, they hand's been good enough.

Jackson hand't been good enough...

________________________________________________

Come Plot With Me <3

Time seemed to be creeping along slowly.

Painfully slowly.

The pizzeria might be chock a block full of people from all of the teams families and children, but even all the background noise, the minor conversations with all of the people, and all the introductions that were being made for Jackson to all of the people Victoria knew he wasn't keeping up with were just small distractions from the big screens that the witch didn't need. They served to add a few seconds along in the race, but little else, and as time continued to move just as slowly, the look on Jackson's features grew more concerned.

They had done enough, Victoria reminded herself, hoping Jackson would hear her thoughts in the crowded room and believe it as strongly as she did in that moment. But the way he kept glancing at the TV and then to Tessa showed that the politician didn't believe it, or couldn't believe it.

The checks on all stations, and internet polls kept happening, but they wouldn't know yet. The station was still counting, Victoria was sure of that much. Even with her own assurance, though, the witch looked up surprised as the local news show was put up on the big screen, claiming to have the results from the election. Without a second thought, Victoria had left her own station to join Jackson where he stood, her hand carefully finding its way in to his so that she could gently squeeze it in a manner she could only hope would convey her own belief in to him.

As the blonde witch on the TV spoke, though, Victoria could feel her own body grow cold in that moment, the words escaping the woman's lips suggesting... Victoria's brow furrowed, and even before the line was finished, she was shaking her head. She didn't need to look up to the man beside her to know they'd just heard the same thing, the way his body grew more tense in the next few moments showed that he'd resigned himself to the idea.

"It's a local news centre," Victoria heard herself saying, almost as if she wasn't in her own body in that moment. The room had turned to her in that moment, a mixture of confusion and pity touched the faces of those around her. Giving Jackson's hand a firm squeeze, the witch stepped forwards, and away from the man who needed her in that moment, and instead towards Jenna instead. "It's a local news centre, Jenna, not CNN, or Fox. Get me a real news bureau on the screen." Victoria insisted, almost a little too gruffly for the normally calm witch.

"Have CNN announced it?" The question was asked again, this time with Victoria's usual office head on, her eyes scanning those of her colleagues who paused for a moment before hurrying to their own devices.

Glancing back at Jackson, Victoria found the man now encircled in the arms of Tessa Greene, who had leaned up to whisper in his ear. Shaking herself away from the thoughts of what they might be sayign to one another in that moment, Victoria returned to her own device, refreshing everything and reading over what had been announced thus far.

"No official news from CNN." Mac offered, and Victoria nodded, still engrossed in her own work.

"Nothing from Fox as of yet." Jenna offered, casting a worried glance to the owner that stood only a few feet away as if she'd given a slight that wasn't there.

"Then we're not out of the running yet." Victoria stated, looking back to Jackson with a small smile. She would keep believing, even if the man was not looking to be in a good place in that moment. She had to, for both of them.

And so the time continued, each member of the team offering up stories they found. One news room was suggesting Jackson had edged it, another was stating that those counting the votes didn't look surprised with the current votes going in, so Judith must be winning. Another newspaper was tweeting profusely about the number of young voters who had turned out, favouring Jackson as they passed, interviews from those who had been stopped on the way out of casting their vote were being aired, giving both politicians a tip in the scales.

But still nothing concrete came to light.

Still the uncertainty reigned them.

Victoria remained steadfast, though.

Jackson would win.

________________________________________________

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"It's a local news centre,"

Her words broke through the haze, fighting all the negativity and dejection slowly filling the room. The witch beside him refused to give up, squeezing his hand in reassurance before stepping away to give out orders he couldn't even begin to comprehend. So lost in himself was he in that moment, Jackson didn't even notice the Goblin taking charge. A few minutes later he felt someone hug him and looked down to see Tessa, a numb expression on his face at she attempted to comfort him. He stared ahad as she whispered in his ear of the life he would have, of how this was a blessing in disguise, of how perhaps this was how it was meant to be.

All the while, Mac, Jenna and Victoria called out across the room, confirming the lack of update from major channels. The princess all but announced they were not done yet, getting everyone back in place with a renewed purpose. Another half an hour passed, Tessa by his side and a comforting arm on his bicep which the politician had stopped feeling long ago. And hen finally, a shout from Maggie.

"GUYS, CNN IS CALLING IT!"

As one, everyone swarmed to her laptop, some twenty people jostling for space as quietly as they could to listen to the announcer. Jackson found himself squashed in between Tessa and Victoria as Jenna moved to increase the volume. Mac, about the only one who still remembered projectors existed, grabbed the cable, projecting the broadcast on to the poster advertising the ball pit.

"...exit polls confusing ... ready to call a victory for the Blake campaign within the margin of error.... trigger an automatic recount with a difference of less than two hundred votes..." A breath Jackson had no idea he'd been holding was let out but there was no time to fully enjoy the moment as Jenna yelled out again, having been scrolling through her social media while taking in the news.

"MSNBC has it the other way," she informed everyone, holding her phone up as if everyone could see the results on the tiny screen. "They're calling a victory for the Jameson camp but also within a margin of error of less than 200."

"For fuck's sake!" Mac screamed, snatching her phone and hitting speed dial. Her conversation could be heard all around as she threatened a personal source for information but came up short. Apparently the second round of counting was still underway.

"Fox is calling for us!" Kendra reported a minute later, making everyone swivel tot eh wall that had previously been showing the local news bu that now broadcaster familiar faces congratulating Jackson on his victory. No mention of a margin of error... Could it be..? Jackson tried to remind himself that none of these networks were known for never messing up a result. All stations, big and small, had fucked up in the past and Fox was skewed towards them anyway...

And yet, the broadcast had begun to spark hope, slowly gathering everyone in front of that wall. His right hand was constantly in Tessa's position, clinging the witch to him while Victoria stood quietly to the lest. Mac was now in charge of switching feeds as they came in.

"MSNBC's Rachel Maddow offering a retraction for the Senate race in Wisconsin and Michigan. In Wisconsin, the majority of the votes though still within the margin of error fall in favor of Senator incumbent Jackson Blake..."

"CNN is now projecting a narrow victory for Jackson Blake just shy of triggering a recount against first time competitor Judith Jameson..."

"Hearty congrats to our very own Jackson Blake for an impressive victory in Wisconsin where Tessa Grey is also present to cheer on hr party..."

"And now to bring this motherfucker home!" Mac shouted, switching once again to the generic blonde on the local news station.

"...we deeply apologize for the error and congratulate the Blake campaign on..."

"WE DID IT!" Several voices screamed as exhausted applause broke out all over the pizza place. "WE FUCKING DID IT, IN YOUR FACE JUDITH JAMESON!!!"

The guests of the staff were now swarming the work station, hugging, kissing and grabbing anyone in sight. Someone was barking into a walkie talkie to release the fucking balloons while Jenna stood in a corner with a brand new and freshly pressed jacket for Jackson to don for the media that would be at the door in about two seconds.

But Jackson didn't think about any of that.

No, as soon as he could believe in what had happened, as soon as it hit that he had won, Jackson did the only thing that made sense. "e... won..." he managed dumbly, looking down at Victoria whose face was beaming, tears of joy shimmering on her eyelashes.

Exhausted, anxious, stressed and wrung out as she was, the witch had never looked more beautiful to him.

"We won kiddo," he tried again, this time, allowing his face to break int its first genuine smile of the day. "Holy fuck we won!"

And then, extricating himself from the grip of the woman on his right, Jackson turned to the one on his left. Wrapping both arms around the witch, Jackson let out a hysterical laugh before lifting her off the ground until she was at last a head taller than evergreen else.

"WE WON!" He hollered, Victoria clutched safely in his embrace and hoisted high above the rest. "WE FUCKING DID IT, WE WON!"

Bringing her down once again, the man move forwards and planted a firm kiss on her lips, his own eyes reflecting every bit of joy they saw in hers.

________________________________________________

Come Plot With Me <3

The hour that had passed since the first announcement would never, ever, make sense to Victoria if she tried to recount it. There were too many news stations reporting on this in different manners, too many suggesting that Judith had managed to beat them, whilst others would stand firmly beside their senator, back him and denote him the winner of the campaign.

Who had said what, though, hadn't truly mattered as the hour came to its head, all finally lining up with the same message, the same name coming off the reporters' lips as the bars on the screens flashed Jackson Blake's name again and again.

One by one, the biggest stations in the country were showing Jackson's name. The screens flicked between each station until they were all showing the same outcome. Jackson Blake had done it, he was Senator for Wisconsin. They had achieved their goal of making it so, and in that moment, the relief flooded through Victoria's small frame. The realisation that everything she had been wishing for, everything she had assured not only her, not just Jackson, but the whole office of, was now a reality.

"We... won..."

The sound of Jackson stating that aloud made Victoria look up to the man, instead of the screens showing his picture and his name all over them. The real version of Jackson who stood beside her, now flooded with relief that she could only smile proudly back at as all the stress, worry and tension of the night came out of her shoulders. "We won," Victoria breathed in response, only for Jackson to find his voice and announce it to the whole pizzeria. Even if his eyes remained on her, and didn't move, he'd said it loud enough for the whole room to hear, and it was true.

The ground was gone a moment later, though, as Jackson lifted her much too easily above everyone else in the pizzeria. A soft giggle escaped the witch as she held his shoulder to steady herself as he bounced around happily, denoting again and again that they had won. Everyone was celebrating around them, all of the girls moving to their significant other to embrace them, and then one another. From somewhere the party poppers had started to be handed out amongst them, and the glitter bombs were going off everywhere to denote the start of their party, everyone was, for the first time in months, relieved of the immeasurable stress they'd endured to get to this point.

It was their moment.

Their victory.

The witch's eyes settled back on the man of the moment as a cloud of glitter doused over them, and Jackson carefully placed her back on solid ground. The feeling of lightheadedness in that moment was real, and the smile upon Victoria's lips would not be diminished for some time, of that much she was sure.

"Cong-"

The word was swallowed only a moment later, cut off by Jackson's next movement as his head dipped down to her height, and his lips came to hers. The world had gone deafeningly quiet in that moment, much too quiet perhaps if she'd had time to notice. Jackson's lips were firm, and sure in their movement against hers, no hesitation present as he held her close to him. The hand that had been holding on to Jackson's shoulder grasped tightly at his shirt in the same moment her lips returned the pressure he'd given her.

Jackson's arms remained tightly wound against her waist in that moment, showing her that she was safe. Nothing else in the world mattered in that moment, nothing but the firm press of his lips against hers that was more than welcome now. The smile only grew on Victoria's lips as he stole another kiss from her, only hoping this would never end, that she would never have to open her eyes and realise that she'd imagined it all.

Except...

As Jackson pulled back gently, and Victoria's eyes dared to open just enough to see the man stood before her was actually, truly there, she realised the whole room was looking at them. Amid the celebrations, they had gotten caught up in it all, and the room had truly fallen silent as Jackson's lips had touched hers. The crimson crept from the witch's neck up to her cheeks in milliseconds, her eyes averting from Jackson's. Her hands slowly unwound from his shirt, and tried to make good of the ruffled mess they'd left them in.

Jackson's hands didn't move away from her, though, and if she'd dared to look up, Victoria might have been able to convey that he needed to let her go, but in that moment... she didn't want him to. Selfishly, she wanted him to never let her go, but that was not for now.

"We have a speech to give!" Victoria announced, to the room, not Jackson. Before he could say another word, Victoria had extracted herself from his embrace, and motioned for him to get his jacket from Jenna. What had just happened could, and most certainly would, wait.

For tonight, they had a show to give.

And personal feelings would not mar any of it.

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