Lady in Red Pt. 03 Ch. 08

"Citizens of the World! I present to you The Queen of Peace!" managed Jordan before the entire Mall erupted into deafening cheers, whistles and applause.

Jordan walked over to Lisa, who handed her the same tiara Gwen had worn in 'Queen's Ransom' and the 'Rise' trilogy. Jordan carefully placed it on Gwen's head and secured it with several clips. Once she finished her task, Jordan stepped off to the side, leaving Gwen alone in the center of the stage.

As if on signal, nearly a million people dropped to a knee and began chanting 'Long live the Queen' as tears poured from Gwen's eyes. Holding her head high, she walked to the front of the stage and gestured for everyone to stand.

"Your Queen asks that you stand!" managed Gwen as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "I accept this honor in the names of all people who seek an end to hunger, disease and terrorism! I have no idea how this honor has come to pass, but please know that I am committed to helping as many people of the world as I possibly can. You have bestowed a tremendous honor on me, but it comes with a huge responsibility. I can only promise to do my best!"

Gwen waved and smiled for several minutes as the ovation continued. Then she turned and motioned for Steve to join her. The cheers suddenly became even louder as she wrapped her arms around her husband and kissed him passionately.

Gwen then turned to the crowd and waited for the cheering to subside. "My Warrior husband is the strong one, the compassionate one, the person who has encouraged and protected me every step of this amazing journey! He'll fight for you too, for your freedom, for your honor, and for your families. You may have made me your Queen, but Steve is the very best of us all. Of that I am certain!"

Amber Stahl was covering the event from a small TV platform near the stage. Viewers were able to see tears trickling down her cheeks as she addressed her audience.

"Again we're seeing history being made. Gwen Anderson Hammer and her husband Steve have turned what most would have considered a crippling political blow into a rousing victory and celebration. When Capitol Hill created chaos and mob hysteria, Gwen and Steve Hammer seized the situation and molded it to meet their objectives.

"Secretary Chatham mentioned earlier today that Steve Hammer was a brilliant tactician. Anyone who has seen the manner in which he orchestrated events today would have to agree. He and Gwen turned an enraged mob into a huge pep rally. He had the foresight to legitimize Vince Rosen's presidency by calling for a public swearing in ceremony, a ceremony Gwen and he attended as they offered our new President sincere wishes for success.

"In a brilliant piece of promotion, Steve Hammer told the world that today's concert was going to be known as 'Queen's Ransom', which dovetails very effectively with the blockbuster movie Lady in Red released around the world Thursday night. From the statistics already in, it will have the largest opening weekend ever, and it appears destined to become the highest grossing film of all time," announced Amber. "Critics are universally praising the film, and Academy Award rumors are already circulating.

"Every musician who toured with Lady in Red for the 'We Come in Peace World Tour' has returned here today to perform in this 'Queen's Ransom' concert. The National Mall and its surrounding areas look every bit as crowded was they were yesterday. The Park Service will no doubt give us a much better estimate later," conceded Amber.

Once she ended her short speech, Gwen spent time waving to the crowd as she moved across the stage while still wearing her tiara. She couldn't help feeling a bit vain and even foolish wearing a royal tiara in front of so many people, but they enthusiastically approved her every move. Steve had explained that he felt it was important for her to publicly accept her role as Queen. Her unfettered reign would begin the same day she had been removed as President of the United States. Gwen had come to trust Steve implicitly in these matters. He had plans for every contingency, and he always seemed to be right.

Charlie cued the band as the din began to abate. Gwen moved back to center stage and the 'Queen's Ransom' concert was off to a roaring start. Charlie felt it would be a mistake to simply play the same songs for the second day, so he had the band play numerous songs they had rehearsed over the previous weeks but hadn't performed in public.

Once their signature 'We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions' was concluded, the band moved into Bohemian Rhapsody with Steve singing lead. With all the talented singers in the group, the operatic section of the song sounded extremely impressive, and the fans reacted enthusiastically. Gwen then moved to the front of the stage as the band began its next number. Her audience immediately identified the U2 song and went unusually quiet as they waited for Gwen to pick up the lyrics. Jordan and Kathy Perrine stood just behind Gwen and to each side as they sang back-up.

"I have climbed the highest mountains; I have run through the fields, only to be with you, only to be with you!" sang Gwen as a thunderous roar went echoed across the capital, forcing Gwen and the band to circle back and begin again.

The crowd joined in when Gwen sang "I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls only to be with you. But I still haven't found what I'm looking for!"

Charlie had predicted the song would be well received when he added it to their repertoire, but even he had failed to gauge the emotions Gwen's rendition would evoke. The entire sea of humanity swayed back and forth as they joined Gwen in singing the stirring lyrics. As Gwen took a modest bow, fans whistled, yelled and clapped their approval.

News clips showed Gwen Hammer's back as she sang while the camera panned over the huge audience, which stretched as far as the camera could focus. Although she was no longer the President, it was obvious she owned the city like no other person ever could.

The band played some older songs and worked in quite a few they had never performed before an audience. The reception by the hundreds of thousands in attendance and the millions watching on television was spectacular.

It was after the first intermission that the fans began buzzing. The Jumbotron showed Gwen, Jordan, and Kathy Perrine walk back onstage wearing robes and then sitting down on folding chairs. Charlie and Steve lazily strolled onto the stage to stand near the ladies. They were also wearing robes.

"Please?" begged Kathy Perrine into her microphone. "Can we do 'Sharp Dressed Man' now?"

"I don't know if our fans would care to see that old routine," replied Jordan, also speaking into her mic. "Gwen and I haven't done that one in years."

"Maybe that's the problem!" exclaimed Kathy. "You two seniors may be getting a bit long in the tooth to shake it up. What about you, Charlie? Steve? Will you do that number with me?"

As she spoke, Kathy Perrine stood with her back to the audience and dropped her robe! Charlie and Steve stood rooted in place as they stared at the young beauty, clad only in a small thong. The Jumbotron clearly showed the beautiful young woman's naked back and skimpy garment. The crowd began what seemed like a low growl!

Jordan and Gwen jumped to their feet, critically examined their husbands staring at the front of the beautiful Kathy Perrine and then nodded to each other as their robes slid from their shoulders, revealing their own backsides and the small thongs they too were wearing.

"Too long in the tooth?" repeated Gwen. "What about it, Steve? Are we too old?"

"Yeah, Charlie, are we too old?" echoed Jordan.

Charlie and Steve snapped out of their trance simultaneously and shrugged their shoulders, allowing their own robes to fall to the floor as they faced the three topless women and the huge crowd. They wore only boxers, with the Lady in Red logo featured front and center. The two men reached behind their chairs and picked up guitars.

They moved to the front of the stage and started the driving rhythm of Sharp Dressed Man as the three women swayed enticingly upstage to a low wall that had been set up at the back. Each of them picked up a pair of boy shorts and erotically pulled them up over their hips as the crowd roared. They then grabbed strapless halter tops and reached behind their backs to snap them on. Gwen had trouble fastening hers, so when it came time to face the crowd and sing, she simply held the small garment over her considerable charms with one hand while she joined her friends in singing the opening stanza.

The crowd reacted with even louder roars and whistles. Jordan, seeing Gwen's predicament, stepped behind her and fastened her top for her. Once the stanza was over, the ladies danced back to pick up only slightly larger garments to cover their bras before singing the next stanza.

The cameras constantly moved from Steve and Charlie's ripped torsos to the cleavage, beautiful faces and shapely legs of the three women. Fans watched the huge Jumbotrons intently as three of the world's most beautiful women gyrated and swayed to the music. Once the song was over, Steve and Charlie moved seamlessly into ZZ Tops' 'Gimme all Your Lovin', with Kathy Perrine singing lead.

Steve and Charlie managed to slip on some jeans and tee shirts a little later while Kathy Perrine sang one of her older hits. Then Steve joined Kathy to sing their hit song, which had been written by Kathy on their flight to Rome. That was followed by Jordan and Charlie performing the theme song for the Queens's Ransom movie.

When Charlie and Jordan finished singing and the applause died down, Gwen pointed to her old friend Heather Thomas, who was standing near the stage as she covered the event for her network.

"Heather, how would you like to revive your dance routine with Steve?" asked Gwen of an obviously surprised Heather. "Come on up and shake that booty!"

Heather needed no second invitation. She knew the world was watching, and she was being handed the opportunity of a lifetime by Gwen Hammer. Heather was a well-known TV personality, admired for her reporting as well as for her great beauty. As she reached the top step, the crowd began cheering loudly. Steve greeted her with a hug.

Charlie briefly conferred with the band as Gwen embraced Heather once Steve had released her. "I can't believe I agreed to this! It's been years since we performed this dance. We haven't even practiced it!"

"Just trust Steve to take care of you. It's like riding a bike. You'll do great!" encouraged Gwen as Charlie nodded to signal that the band was ready to play 'Dirty Laundry'.

With only a couple of minor mistakes that went totally unnoticed by everyone but Heather, Steve and Heather delighted those watching with the same dance routine they had used years ago to win the little dance contest in Charlotte. Steve had often expressed his opinion that maintaining a good relationship with the press was essential to success in business and politics.

Knowing that Heather was at least a little in love with Steve, as well as an up and coming star on her network, Gwen had made the snap decision to feature her in a dance with Steve, who had always referred to gestures of this sort as 'building capital for the future'. She would always strive to remain on good terms with Heather Thomas and Amber Stahl.

Kathy Perrine stepped close to Gwen as Steve and Heather took their bows. "If Steve were my husband, I'd never let him dance with her. She's beautiful, and she's in love with him. You know that, don't you?"

"He wouldn't be your husband very long if you didn't trust him completely," responded Gwen with a grin. "Maybe I shouldn't let him dance with you, if it's dangerous to let women who love him get too close."

"Oh, Gwen! I'm so sorry!" apologized the horrified Kathy. "Is it that obvious? I'd never try to take him away from you!"

"Don't worry about it. He got an eyeful just now when you dropped your robe, and you got your wish when he saw your amazing boobs. You're incredibly beautiful and Steve loves beautiful women, but he's got this thing about loyalty. He loves me. He'd do anything for me. I stopped worrying about other women a long time ago. For whatever reason, he's my guy as long as I want him, and I'll want him forever."

"I guess that's why he's your husband. I've never seen a couple trust each other like you two do. Heather doesn't have a chance, does she?" chuckled Kathy.

"No, but she's having a lot of fun dreaming about him. Some guy will come along who's perfect for her, and she'll forget all about being in love with Steve. The same thing will happen for you sooner or later," predicted Gwen.

"I may find a great guy of my own, but I doubt either Heather or I will ever stop daydreaming about Steve," replied Kathy with a weak smile. "But enough about my daydreams: we need to get ready for the next number!"

The concert ended at five o'clock Sunday afternoon, but it took several more hours for the streets of Washington again to allow vehicular traffic. Thousands of very happy people began leaving the city to return to their home towns. Lady in Red had contracted to have a company clean the city after the weekend's activities and by dusk, the lion's share of the cleanup had been completed.

"We need to get over to Maryland and FedExField," reminded Kate. "Our team is having its home opener, and we want to be there for the pregame festivities. This'll be the D.C. Spartans' first home game. Let's hope we win!"

"Don't bet the ranch on that," offered Chip. "They didn't do very well last week, and our head of football operations traded away our starting quarterback. I wonder where we can find a player to replace him?"

"Steve won't be suiting up tonight! You can bet on that," responded Gwen as she hugged her husband. "They'll have to go another week or two without him. We need some rest and relaxation after the hectic schedule of the last two months. The division is weak this year, so we can stand to lose a few games and still make the play-offs. Steve'll play a lot better if he gets the chance to recharge."

"What about the rule about owners not playing for their team?" asked Jason. "If the NFL is anything like Congress, they'll enforce that rule to the letter."

"It seems that a person can't buy a team and then put themselves on the roster, but a player who's already on a roster can buy a team and still play for it," declared Kate. "I had a team of lawyers pour over the NFL rules, and Steve won't be breaking any of them if he plays for the Spartans. Although he retired last spring, the team kept him officially on the roster. He'll be able to play; if he can make the team, that is."

"If he can make the team?" repeated Billy Marsh. "If he doesn't make the team, there should be a Congressional investigation, or have they already done that?"

The group arrived at FedExField two hours before the 8:20 kick-off. The parking lot was already filled with fans enjoying tailgate parties.

"Everyone has so much fun at these games!" exclaimed Lisa. "We should have a tailgate party, too."

"We will, Sis, but it'll be in our skybox. Now that we're the owners, we get the best box here. I think we'll have the same caterers we always had, but the accommodations should be even nicer."

"Yeah, but that's not the same as visiting with other fans and trash talking the Giants, Eagles and Cowboys," replied Lisa. "That's the fun part."

"How about we invite a few fans up to our box every week to watch the game with us?" asked Jordan. "The box is huge, so we'll have lots of room. The only rule will be no Senators or Congressmen... or pretty women."

Jordan and Gwen were scheduled to sing the National Anthem, so the entire group went down to the field to watch the teams warming up. Gwen noticed a section of seats already occupied by fans in military uniforms and she asked about it.

"Jared reserves fifty sideline seats every week for active service personnel," explained Tyler. "The various branches of the military select men and women to represent them each week. Apparently, they like to get here early."

Gwen and Jordan headed straight toward the group as soon as Tyler explained the situation. When it became apparent where the women were going, every person in the group stood and saluted. Gwen noticed that a few of them struggled to stand and had to use the chair arms to support themselves.

"Please sit down!" pleaded Gwen. "I'm just a regular citizen now. There's no reason to salute me. Jordan and I just came over to thank you for your service and for coming to the game tonight. We appreciate it."

"Ma'am, if I may speak?" asked a ramrod-straight Marine with a well-muscled neck and sergeant stripes.

"Of course you may, but please be at ease," replied Gwen. "I was never comfortable having brave men and women like you folks saluting me. I've never served and never felt I deserved a salute, especially from decorated combat veterans."

"Ma'am, believe me when I say no one deserves our respect more than you. All of us feel that way, and we think it's a damn shame the way Congress treated you today. We're all proud as hell to have had you as our Commander-in-Chief. We're right grateful you gave us these great seats, too. We never would have been able to come to the game otherwise."

"Tell me something," interjected Jordan after seeing Gwen's agreeable nod. "Do you people have some other friends in the military who could get here in time to watch the game? We'd like to invite all of you up to our skybox to watch the game and to enjoy some refreshments. We could make arrangements for the others to use these seats. Would you be willing to be our guests tonight?"

"Are you kidding?" gushed a young sailor. "I'd love to watch the game and share a few beers with Steve and President Hammer. I have a buddy that can be here in ten minutes!"

After listening to other people in the contingent accept the offer and assure Jordan they had friends to utilize their seats, Tyler began making arrangements. Then a young female Marine spoke for the first time.

"If I could, I'd like to be nearby when President Hammer and Mrs. Burns sing the anthem. I love the way they sing it, and I'd love to be close enough to hear them without any amplifiers."

"This is Corporal Melanie Baker," introduced the Marine sergeant. "She always sang the anthem at our events on base. She even sang it a few times while she was stationed in Kabul before her convoy was hit by an IED this summer and she lost a leg. She's the best singer I ever heard, next to you ladies, of course."

"I've played your CDs and sung along with both of you hundreds of times," admitted the corporal. "If I could just stand close enough to hear you sing, I'd be so very grateful."

"Of course!" agreed Gwen immediately. "Would you like us to find you a wheelchair, so you can sit nearby while we sing?"

"Ma'am, not to be rude, but I don't sit when the anthem is playing. I lost a leg, but not my pride of country. Thanks for the offer, but no matter what, I'll be standing when you sing the anthem," promised Corporal Baker.

"I am so sorry if I offended you!" apologized Gwen. "I should have realized what sort of person you are. I can go you one better. You've sung along with Jordan and me on recordings. Would you do us the honor of standing and singing the anthem with us tonight?"

"That's a great idea!" approved Jordan. "We'd be honored to have you with us. Please say you'll do it, Melanie."

"I'd really love to, but I have trouble balancing and I'd need a cane or something to lean on. I may be awkward," worried the young woman.

"You'll stand between Jordan and me," decided Gwen. "We'd be honored if you'd lean on us a little. You've given so much for your country, and we'd love to have you stand with us."