And they all went to heaven in a lil' row boat (Vickson)

On Saturday evening at five thirty sharp, Jackson's SUV pulled up into the street parking of Jim Sarbh's modest three bedroom home in a humble Milwaukee neighborhood. Truth be told, the man could afford to live way above this meager establishment but it did the job Jim needed it to do, remain unnoticed.

The politician made sure he wasn't blocking any part of the street as he climbed out of the vehicle and moved to the passenger side to open Victoria's door. The small witch climbed down carefully, balancing a large bouquet of flowers in her hands. it had been her idea to show up with something for their dinner hosts. Not only would it serve as a great cover but it was simply polite. As a result, the flowers and a bottle of sparkling cider had been picked up on the way to the Sarbhs.

Last Friday, after his conversation with the police constable, neither the wizard nor Victoria had gotten much sleep. While the lawyer had been up researching constitutional law all night long, Jackson had been absorbed in the mindless ramblings of politician pundits that now edged on hysterics. The rest of the weekend hadn't gotten much better and the couple had stayed in doing much the same, the only small respite being to confirm Jenna's flight to the Arizona border. No matter what else was happening in the country, there as still a family at stake.

Jim hadn't called all weekend and Victoria had only brought it up once. Jackson hand merely "hmm-ed" at her question, guessing that if Jim wasn't calling, it was because he had nothing to report. This was not a game she was a party to but the princess caught on quick. Monday morning as they had dressed for work (the laundry still being magically done and ironed despite the fact that Victoria had been on her laptop all weekend), it was with the heavy realization that everyone a the office would look to them for what to do next. As anticipated, Monday had been sluggish with most monitors tuned in to some form of news or other. Everything from Fox to CNN to TNN was on mute at various work stations. Even Sloan had forgotten about her terminal for the day.

Tuesday wasn't much better with Wednesday bringing some clarity on if the congress's decision could be challenged in court. Certain groups were going to try anyway as the constitutional scholars argued it out on C SPAN.

On Thursday, Jim finally called.

"Hey jacson, how's it going."

"It's going," replied the senator who had just been about to leave for lunch. Both he and Victoria stopped in their tracks as the witch hurried to close to the door to his office so she could listen in too. "Whats it looking like on your end."

"I dunno man, I had a hundred on Steelers winning but now it looks like Preethi's going to be pissed at me."

"Serves you right for betting on them," Jackson responded without any hint of amusement on his face. "Do you know what you could have done with a hundred bucks?"

"Yeah well, I figure if there's company around, she won't bust my balls too hard. What say you? Saturday?"

"Vic and I will be there."

And that was the end of that. the old code they had establish for information too sentient for phone lines coming into play. Victoria had known not to ask until they were on their way home, and by then she had guessed pretty much all of it.

Which brought them to Saturday, parked in front of Jim's house with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of cider in their hands. While not officially out as a couple, they kept no secrets from the Sarbhs. Preethi had been championing their relationship for longer than anyone else, Jackson had been told.

"Jackson, Victoria!" The woman in question greeted them warmly, stepping out into ehr porch carefully. Despite the lose dress she wore, there was no hiding he seven month baby bump that aced as her most prominent accessory.

"Bhabi," Jackson greeted her with a smile before leaning forwards to kiss her on the cheek. Victoria did the same, handing him the flowers in favor of helping Preethi back up the porch.

"Come on in guys, you really shouldn't have," she motioned towards the gifts. "Jackson go out back dear, Jim's fiddling with the TV, as if that's going to make the Steelers any better."

The man looked at Victoria uncertainty who nodded back. Jackson took his leave of the ladies, heading towards the converted shed that now served as Jim's man cave.

Hopefully he would get some answers soon.

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And they all went to heaven in a lil' row boat (Vickson) Rsz_mi10

And they all went to heaven in a lil' row boat (Vickson) Rsz_ja12

And they all went to heaven in a lil' row boat (Vickson) Rsz_rs13

It had been a difficult week, Victoria was all too aware of how tough the week had been on her small frame. Exhaustion was not something the witch was unacquainted with, but it had set in hard that week. Trying to get an understanding of what was going on in the White House, and what it meant for them had kept the witch awake for longer hours than normal, sleep only coming in very brief spurts when Jackson finally pulled her away from the laptop and took her to bed. The witch would be asleep even before her head touched the pillow.

The lawyer had called that the decision could be challenged only moments before it had been on the news network, her reading finally pulling up the fact that it wasn't unchallengeable. She had been quick to point out that a legal proceeding of this size would not be over quickly, and definitely not before November. They would not be voting like they normally would, but it couldn't be delayed inevitably, Victoria was quite sure of that much.

But it didn't hep when they were in the office.

Everyone was looking to them for reassurance. Reassurance that they couldn't provide because much like their colleagues, neither Victoria or Jackson had seen this before. Neither of them knew enough to be able to say what was coming. And more worryingly, none of them truly knew why the decision had been made to postpone the vote.

The not knowing was driving the lawyer crazy. It always had, feeling like she was falling short, despite the fact nobody really seemed to know what was going on. She wanted to steer their little ship clear of any turbulent waters, but they were sailing in the dark now.

Until the call from Jim Sarbh had come through.

The coded message from the man -- Victoria had taken a moment to work out that the Steelers conversation was not at all relevant -- had been the welcome break they needed from the not knowing. Even if Jim didn't have much, anything he might have would be welcome. The agreement to head over to the Sarbh's residence on Saturday had been all that had kept the witch going for the last couple of days of the week.

As the afternoon arrived, a warm afternoon for August, Victoria had considered her wardrobe carefully. It had taken her a long while to finally decide upon the blue, floral dress, the trepidation keeping her from being sure for some time. It had only been when she'd pulled a pair of shorts on beneath the dress that she'd been sure of her decision. Stepping out in to the lounge after applying a soft shade of lipstick to her lips. They hadn't been out, dressed up, for a very long time, and the witch wanted to seize the opportunity, even if they were only going to the Sarbh's home.

The effect had been evident on Jackson, and the witch couldn't help but smile as he openly oggled her in the attire.

"I take it you approve?" The witch asked as he hurried over, about ready to kiss her fully on the lips. He hadn't banked on the small finger that would intercept them. "Ah, ah, I don't have time to reapply my lipstick!" She told him, which only diverted the man's lips to her neck, nuzzling her gently and making her eyes close gratefully in that moment. This was why she would push the boundaries, for the man who made her feel safer than any other man in the world could. "We'll be late..." Victoria breathed, trying to ignore just how good it made her feel. It took far too many additional kisses for the witch to finally push him back, trying to collect herself and hoping Jackson hadn't left a mark in his insistence.

The car journey had been quick, stopping only to grab some flowers and a bottle of cider for Jim to enjoy. Victoria had quickly scooped the bottle from the till and headed back to the car so that Jackson didn't have to deal with the bottle, always much too careful that he didn't push himself too hard around the substance.

When they finally arrived at the Sarbh's, Victoria had smoothed her dress and hair in a nervous tick before finally getting out of the vehicle with Jackson's help. Preethi greeted them at the door, Victoria following Jackson's greeting with equal enthusiasm as she pulled the heavily pregnant witch close and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"You're glowing!" Victoria praised, and the other woman waved it away.

"Jackson go out back dear, Jim's fiddling with the TV, as if that's going to make the Steelers any better."

Victoria nodded for Jackson to go. She was fine, and he would relay everything that she needed to know later on. With Jackson retreating, Victoria turned her attention to Preethi. "What can I do to help you out?" The lawyer asked, always much more comfortable when she was doing something rather than worrying over Jackson and the news he was about to get. "Are the salads prepped? I can help you with those if you want?"

Preethi showed her in to the house, and they both headed towards the kitchen. Talk quickly turned to the baby, and how Preethi was feeling. Mostly the woman was excited, as any expecting mother would be, but nervous too of the birth. Not that they spoke much on that, Preethi was always a little embarrassed by the perfectly normal things in life, but Victoria understood that it wasn't easy for her.

"What about you and Jackson, the two of you must surely be thinking about these things?"

Victoria let out a nervous laugh, before shaking her head in reply. "Jackson and I haven't discussed children, actually." She confessed, taking up a knife to start the preparation on the cucumber for their salad. "I mean, before we can even think about children, we would need to get married. I wouldn't want to have children before then, call me old fashioned but I really do like things done the 'right' way around."

"Then we have to get Jackson to propose!" Preethi replied as if that was the easiest thing in the world to achieve.

"I'm not sure Jackson wants to-"

"Nonsense, he's head over heels for you! The man would be an idiot not to ask you!"

Victoria's cheeks flushed at that comment before she shook her head. "He'll make the decision in his own time. I don't want to rush anything... not after everything he's been through in recent years. We have plenty of time to worry about marriage and children.

"Besides, we're going to have a Sarbh baby running around soon, that's all I'm going to need to keep me busy!"

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Not one to disobey a lady, Jackson did as he was told, heading out back to the shed where Jim would no doubt be fiddling with the television, game or no game. The man had picked up a hobby many years ago of collecting gadgets that didn't work and then trying to breathe life into them, often with mixed results. This often results in his wife complaining they were surround by trash when they didn't have to be but it lend further credibility to the facade of an underpaid, mediocre police officer of no interest to anyone.

"Yo Jim, I'm coming in."

There was a hissing sound in response and then Jim Sarbh's rather unmanly yelp. Jackson entered the shed to find his host nursing a finger that had just been burned by a stray current. The politician raised an amused eyebrow at his longtime friend.

"You well, you should see the other guy." Jim groused, casting a dark look at the television that had been taken apart.

"So, what's happening," Jackson asked, not seeing the point of beating about the bush. Jim's features immediately schooled themselves into a more serious expression.

"My source isn't talking."

"Pretty shitty source then."

"I'm serious," Jim insisted, moving towards the cooler and opening it to withdrew an icy can of Sprite. Preethi must have reminded him to swap out the beer Jackson knew to usually occupy that spot.

"She's a good girl, high up in MACUSA, normally she come through but this time, she doesn't know or isn't saying."

"Which one do you think it is?" Jackson asked, easily catching the tossed drink in one hand. The cool metal felt good against his skin.

Jim paused for a moment, then shook his ehad. "The latter," he admitted, withdrawing a can for himself and gesturing for Jackson to take a eat on the old Lazyboy he had similarly "fixed". "Code name Nightingale, cause she sings sometimes, get it."

"Grow up," Jackson admonished though not seriously.

"So the birdy has a new boss, he's very strict with info going in and out. I thinks she wants to say but all normal channels are being arched. She... sounded like she was being eavesdropped on though I'd bet my unborn child's life that couldn't be possible."

"So we don't know anything."

"We know every channel of communication is being watched."

"Which means," Jackson thought out loud. "There must be something worth hiding."

"Bingo."

The raven haired politician thought it over for a minute, popping open his Sprite and taking a long drink, emptying out almost half the can in one go. "Any idea who the boss is."

"I'm working on it," Jim was quick to reply. "Go a ledger about every MACUSA employee who was promoted to a higher grade in the last three years. Oh, I found a name you might think interesting."

"Oh?"

"Henry Newbury, Victoria's dad right? He got moved from Magical Resources to..." the man tried to remember the relevant Department. "Education Affairs? Dunno something equally boring. He just barely qualified as a higher grade promotion so he ended up in the ledger."

Jackson nodded, taking in the information provided. He was playing back the conversation Victoria had with her family the night of the announcement.

"Do you think it could be anything to do with MACUSA, dad?"

"Couldn't say, really."

"Because you can't?"

"Because I don't know, Vic."

"You gonna keep trying Nightingale?" the man finally asked, draining the rest of his soda. Another one foudn its way to him a minute later.

"Yeah, her and a few others. Though she was my best bet."

"Keep working on the boss too."

Jim laughed. "You try havin' a seven month preggo wife. I'll do anything to stay out of the house, man." Both men laughed mutually as they left their seats, off to join the ladies for dinner. Jackson refrained from saying so but that was at least one worry he would never have.

And one joy Victoria would never experience if she stayed with him.

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Preethi had been easily distracted with the conversation being steered back to the child that would be with them soon. From moaning about the way her back ached in manners she'd never known existed, to talking about how there was simply no position in which a pregnant lady could get to sleep and be comfortable, and then on to topics of what she thought they would be having. Neither Preethi or Jim had wanted to find out the sex of the child before it came in to the world, and Victoria completely understood.

Preethi was secretly hoping for a girl, but she was sure Jim was hoping for a boy.

As Victoria had pointed out, it wouldn't matter what the child was, because both Preethi and Jim would love the child so fully that they would never have to worry. Preethi had waved it away as her being too kind, but Victoria knew without a doubt that the Sarbh's would both be amazing parents to their child.

The women had made light work of the meal for the evening, finishing it up easily before the men had returned from the shed. Victoria had insisted the Preethi sit down at the table and relax until Jackson and Jim returned, a sentiment that was argued with for no more than a few seconds before the woman relented and took up the rest she'd been given. Victoria had made a start on tidying up the cooking utensils that they no longer needed as they chatted about the baby, until finally both men returned in to the house.

Victoria had tried not to look too hopefully towards Jackson as he returned, but the man had maintained a poker face entirely as he returned. It was fair enough, though, they had dinner to attend to, and whatever Jim had provided to Jackson could wait until they were home and could dissect it in full.

Ushering both men to the table, Victoria had insisted she could manage as she brought out the various dishes Preethi had made that day. The steam rose from each plate, and the smells that emitted from each pot when the lids had been lifted spoke of the woman's heritage entirely. It was one of the many reasons Victoria loved to spend time with the Sarbh's.

As the food was placed down, Preethi quickly explained what was in each dish for their benefit -- Victoria had reminded her that it didn't matter, she would be trying every dish on offer. Preethi had blushed gently at that much before tucking in to the food herself. The quartet had gone somewhat quiet over dinner, only really the men talking between mouthfuls about work in one manner or another, the fact Jim knew of the work they had been doing for immigrants only continued to show how much their work had caught traction in the wider community. Victoria had her turn to blush as Jackson pushed the praise towards her, denoting he'd only been the face of the campaign whilst she had done all of the hard work.

Preethi had caught her eye at that point, making the face that said ''see what I mean'' when Jackson had looked at her as if she'd managed world peace with the work she'd done. The look had only made the blush grow deeper as Victoria pointed out she hadn't done it for the praise, but to get families back together.

The evening had continued in much the same manner, the conversation flowing freely between the couples. The men had retired to the lounge whilst Victoria and Preethi had worked together to tidy the kitchen -- Victoria trying to get Preethi to leave her to do it, but the older witch not allowing herself to be mothered in such a manner.

By the time they had left the Sarbh home, Victoria had been beyond curious to know what Jackson did. As they climbed in to the SUV after kissing the Sarbhs goodbye, Victoria had not waited a moment longer than was polite to find out the news.

"So..?" She had prompted as Jackson turned out in to the street. "Did Jim find anything of interest?" Her thirst for knowledge prompted, looking to the man for answers.

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Dinner had been a fun if uneventful affair. Victoria and Preethi’s conversations flowed easy while the men mostly occupied themselves with food. When Preethi Sarbh admitted to reading and hearing about their work, Jackson was quick to toss all the credit Victoria’s way. It was after all, her vision and encouragement that had spurred not only him but the whole office into doing something good. The tiny witch never took credit for it though so of course Jackson loved nothing more than to put her in positions where she was forced to acknowledge the good she had done.

Coffee and dessert was accompanied by talk of the baby, an what great parents Jim and Preethi would be. Or to be more accurate, how great Victoria thought Jim and Preethi would be while Jackson merely pretended to thank the powers that be that Jim wasn’t raising a child all alone and that the baby would have at least one sane parent. Jim took the jabs good naturedly, promising to get Jackson back in kind whenever his turn to bat came. The foursome said their goodbyes shortly after, not wanting to keep one very pregnant woman from her rest.

No sooner were they in the car however that Victoria turned to him with an expectant look in her eyes, the same look she’d been subtly giving him for most of the evening. As Jackson reversed the car out of its street parking, he wondered how Jim did it. Keeping such a big part of your life secret from someone you claimed to love…. Jim and he were close friends, had been for a long time. But some issues had always been off limits, chiefly the policeman’s relationship with his wife. Jackson himself could never personally imagine keeping something so huge hidden from the princess, and it was evident as they pulled out of the Sarbh’s street.

“He doesn’t have anything,” the Politician replied, one hand on the steering and the other – as always – reaching for the witch beside him. “None of his guys are talking, but he seems to be under the impression there is some communication issues going on. From what I gather, MACUSA is locked tight,” The man paused, letting her come to her own conclusions from all of this before he spoke once again.

“By the way, did you know your dad got a promotion a while back? Was that why they moved back state side??”

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“He doesn’t have anything,”

Victoria's shoulders sagged with disappointment at this news. She'd been waiting for way too long to find that Jim had come up with nothing that would be useful for them. She knew it was unfair to feel it, but the lawyer had been hoping for something so that they could make sense of what was going on around them. The not knowing was making her anxious, even though they were navigating the news as best as they could in that moment.

Jackson's hand found hers though, the reassurance that he was there and everything would be okay making itself known once more. The explanation continued on that Jim's source wasn't talking and that MACUSA was locked tight only prompted more internal questions.

Why was MACUSA locking down on communications?

What was going on that they weren't being told?

Was this in relation to the closing of the borders?

What was around the corner?

When would they find out?

The witch could have lost herself in all the thoughts running around her head, the brain storm in her head creating various possible answers for each question she'd raised for herself. It always happened for Victoria as she worked to get them ahead of what was going on around them. The answers, though, were interrupted by Jackson's next words.

“By the way, did you know your dad got a promotion a while back? Was that why they moved back state side??”

A crease lined Victoria's brow in that moment, her eyes focusing away from the dashboard to the man beside her as she tried to work out what he was talking about. Her dad... He didn't work anywhere important within the Ministry. He'd taken a mundane job within the Auror department because her mom had been terrified of him becoming an Auror.

"No..." The witch answered slowly. "He's head of the Magical Resources department, has been for years. There isn't any promotion for him anymore because he's gotten to his highest point..."

Victoria trailed off at that point, the frown on her features showing she was trying her best to process the question that had been given to her in that moment. Why would Jackson think her dad had had a promotion?

"They came home because of the government's ruling on Americans returning home or losing their citizenship. Mom didn't want to leave Jake and the kids, of course, but dad said it was for the best... Why? Is there something else going on..? Victoria asked, still trying to understand why the shift to her parents had come up.

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"No..."

The witch's confusion was writ clearly across her features as she processed the new bit of information. Victoria mentioned her father's current position and the lack of any room for a promotion, yet Jim's files didn't lie. Henry Newbury had been promoted in the last few years, whether his children were aware of it or not.

Jackson kept his eyes on the road, not giving away his suspicion. The man wasn't sure if Henry Newbury was hiding anything, nor was he sure how the Princess would take it if he was. Would she see it as a professional necessity or a betrayal of trust? He liked to think she would take it as the former and he knew for a fact she would readily forgive any hurt caused to her by anyone. The tiny witch had too damn big a heart for her own good.

"At least one thing's for sure," Jackson finally spoke as the entered the line of traffic heading out the freeway. "Midterms are definitely on, so that's our work cut out for us." Though whether the elections would be treated seriously or not was still up in the air. Were they just a sham, a distraction from the real purpose? Which was what?

"I guess we just keep our heads down and keep doing what we're doing at the office, until we get more information."

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» Isn't she lovely (Vickson)
» All I Want for Christmas is You (Vickson)
» And yet we are told, seek and ye shall find (Vickson)
» Take my hand, we'll make it I swear (Vickson)
» Long Time Running (Vickson)