The White House pre-ceremony party out on the lawn was a
little overwhelming for Jess's and Flee's folks, with all the stars and
politicians, but the clans were beaming with pride and joy. Josh and
Kenja showed up, flying the Gulstream in, in case it was needed,
they told the guys, but, yeah, they wanted to see Jess get her medal
too. Elaine and Tom had flown in the guys from Alaska in the 737,
and Wiley and Orv were making their presence known. Then, just a
little after noon, the ceremony was started and the President awarded
the Medals of Freedom to the WPG Executives and Jess.
        "Almost everyone deserves this medal..." she began her
acceptance speech, following the Exec's speeches. "I didn't do
anything that almost anyone wouldn't have in the same
circumstances I got..." looking Kit's direction. "And I wouldn't have
been in those circumstances...if it hadn't been for some very special
...um...circumstances..." and got a laugh from the crowd as she
gave a wink and smile to Cody, "and our Executives..." and gave
them nods and smiles, "...and our leaders..." and smiled to Bill and
Hill.
        "We've come a long, long way...together..." she went on, "in
a very short time...and we've done something to be cherished in
history..." and got cheers and applause. "And we can't let it be
compromised....We ALL did too much to give anything back to
forces of hate, greed and ignorance that we find trying to make
trouble again. Look where we ARE!"
        She paused with the cheers and applause, and found Lion and
Swan standing by an oak tree behind the crowd and fought back her
tears of joy while keeping their anonymity. "And there were some...
that did things you wouldn't think humans could do..." and paused
again to think if she should say anything more about that, then
continued, "there was real magic...from real love..." and she let the
applause go to its end there all around the garden, which took some
moments.
        "But now we have those few...those few (wanting to say
"bastards", or worse, but didn't)...again...who still want to take the
world back to war. So, my friends...and my fellow citizens of our
now peaceful planet...are we going to throw them AGAIN into
history's DUST?!"
        "YES!" the crowd cheered, then applauded as she nodded her
head and smiled while looking around at everyone.
        "LOVE did it!" she continued, "and this is love...this is true
freedom...LOVE did this!..." and held up the medal. And the cheers
and applause filled the garden and wafted out the White House
grounds. And she thanked everyone and blew a kiss to her folks,
and the President and others up on stage pressed in to shake her
hand, hold her and talk with her as the crowd cheered and
applauded on.
        The reception turned into one fine ball, in the recipients' honor,
of course, and outflowed to the Mall, the world also having tuned in
on satellite, cable or rabbit ears.
        At one juncture, inside the White House, ostensibly to use the
restrooms, Jess took Kit into a little room for some lip sucks, telling
him, "I'm really miffed you didn't get any recognition."
        "Aw heck, your Arcness, you know that's all right with me.
There're already enough guys wanting to kill me to get a chance with
you."
        "O, fine thing to say, Cody," she sassed, "you should be the one
having to think up the words," she smiled and gave him some more
loving.
        "Pretty good plan, huh?" he smirked and she poked him in a rib.
But she knew he spoke sooth, their age disparity being reported in the
gossip news more and more then. And they kissed on.
        The Prez found them, though, and came in and confided, "I
didn't think he was your uncle, Jessy...even back there in, when was
it...April?"
        "Oops," Jess smiled. "Yep, April, your majesty," 'majesty'
giving Bill a laugh.
        "We're really kissing cousins, sir," Kit tried.
        The President chuckled, "O, I think you can get off that horse,
Kit....you guys are all over the tabloids, ya know." Then he smiled
again at Jessy, "well, Jessica...all I can say is...you sure give an old
man hope." She gave Bill a good hug and some pecks.
        "I'm sorry, I don't get the reference to old here," Kit chided.
        "And it's a lot more than hope," Jess added. So they had some
laughs and talked on a little more about the amazingness of what had
been accomplished, and how, but the Prez cautioned them to watch
their backs. Then he added, "and trust me...deepheart," giving Jess
a wink and smile, "they won't give you any privacy here." And, sure
enough, people were coming into that little room as our heros tried
to figure out if Bill knew who deepheart was or not.
        The party raged on into the night, and Jess, of course, was the
star among stars. Wiley and Orv were striking the capitolfolk pretty
dead with their "Arc-an'-sawed" sass and history, drumming up
more business for Rockhead besides a private meet with the Prez,
which covered a lot of questions Bill had about Jess and Kit, along
with old Razorback politics. But the old codgers just led "Slick" off
in other directions on anything about Jess and Kit, and Billy Jeff
figured that out, lightly chastising their loyalty.
        The folks outside partying on the lawn and farther out on the
Mall were eventually cheering for a set from Jess and the band.
She told everyone that they hadn't brought their instruments,
which was true, until Maria handed her the Gibson that Essy had
handed her, Es having grabbed it back at the ranch and carried it
with her. So the mikes and amps were all set up on the balcony
upstairs and Jess and her entourage were escorted on up by the
President and his entourage.
        She looked at Kit for support as she strapped Gibby on. He
gave her a wink and look of certainty that she would do just fine
alone, though, O yeah, he would have loved to be going out there
with her. If only he were younger and as good. Flece gave her the
same look, meaning she would if she were only as good. And
everyone else around the room gave her similar smiles.
        Bill walked out on the balcony to the mikes and gave a few
words of intro as the crowd hushed down, then cheered, "so here
she IS..." and came back inside as Jess went out and heard the
roar of approval.
        She started off in A, kind of slow, and sang, "it's so amazin'
..." and repeated that, then, changing to one of her signature chords,
"...we fixed our world..." and she was off and flying, coming up
with a seven-minute song on that, then a 42-minute set on the rest,
wowing the multitude and the world and all the guys once again.
Then she asked Bill to join her on sax, so he came out and played
along with her on one of his favorite songs of hers. And that was it
...and the throng cheered their approval and gratitude and let her go.
        It was a kick for Jess to watch her family with Bill and Hill. In
fact, it was a gas. But in a few more hours, it was gas and go. She
had been invited to spend the night in the Mansion, if she wanted,
besides other places. But she told everyone that she preferred going
home. And so did everyone else there with her. They just weren't
the political types. BR was a little into staying, but Flece wasn't, and
that was all he needed to change his mind.
        So, hours later, Jess, Kit, Flee, BR, Buz and Savvy were
spiriting back to Cincinnati in her jet to spend a little more time with
the folks, already departed ahead of them in their jet. But Pute had
given them alarming news before they had taken off from Reagan
Airport back in D.C. - there probably were some suits coming after
them and the Execs, WPG officials and others. The coup was on!
The bastards were after the WPG.
        Everyone was on alert and ready, though. Joni and Julio were
staying at the White House, they had learned on Pute, Bill was in
on the monitoring, Jane was safe with Ted, and Sundance, Arnold
and the rest were just waiting for it.

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