and sharyn alfonsi is here with the latest on all of that. sharyn? >> reporter: even as the agents surround the broadwell home, neighbors, friends and family are coming to paula's defense. this morning saying, as crazy as this story is, there's a lot more to it. >> he was captain america. >> reporter: overnight, the man who once invited paula broadwell to talk about her best-selling biographer about petraeus, gave his spin on the scandal. >> paula broadwell. why does that name seem so familiar to me? welcome to the program, paula broadwell. no, no. that's not it. >> reporter: jon stewart co-hosted a barbecue with broadwell for wounded vets on labor day. >> i was staring at how defined her arms were. >> reporter: on "the daily show" monday night, he roasted her. >> the title of her book was "all in." a powerful man had an affair with a fawning admirer. she saw some other girl flirting with him. she was e-mailing. you petter step off. i saw him first. >> reporter: broadwell hasn't been seen since the scandal broke friday. but her friends and family are

sharyn alfonsi who was covering wisconsin for us on election night, reports to us from milwaukee with the years ahead in the teenage years. those can be tough years. >> reporter: i know, you have to feel for them. throughout the campaign, we kept seeing the romney kids and the grandkids on the stage. we only got glimpses of sasha and last night, they walk on the stage. and we all thought, they've gotten really big. they're 11 and 14 years old right now. they have four more years in the white house. four more years as teenagers. overnight, once again, front and center. >> sasha and malia. before our very eyes, you're growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. >> reporter: sasha and malia obama, older, more poised and taller than four years ago. >> hi, daddy. >> hey, sweetie. >> reporter: presidential daughters, rewarded for a grueling campaign, with a new dog. >> you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the white house. >> reporter: 7-year-old sasha and 10-year-old malia obama, from chicago, were uprooted. new home, new friends and

abc's sharyn alfonsi reports on their workload. >> reporter: for michelle obama and ann romney, it is the end of a long grueling road. >> it is an emotional day for me, because i were i could tell you what i learned. >> reporter: they have been there every step of the way from the photo-ops. >> may i introduce to you. >> to the stump speeches. >> this is our time. >> reporter: to the conventions. >> michelle, i love you so much. what a lucky man i am. >> ann would have succeeded at anything she wanted to do. >> reporter: both women displaying equal parts charm. >> i love you so much. >> reporter: and steely endurance. >> we have been in so many of your communities. >> reporter: michelle obama's been a key fund raiser campaigning at 191 events. >> it sound like you are fired up and ready to go. >> reporter: ann romney a regular on the trail too. just this weekend appearing in five swing states, exhausted, and emotional time. >> that is amazing to walk in and have this kind of emotion come to us. it makes me believe we can win colorado. >> reporter: throughout the campaign both women ha

here is abc's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: as they walked on the stage last night, everyone noticed, especially dad. >> sasha and malia -- before our very eyes you are growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women. >> malia and sasha once hoisted in their parents' arms. you can't help but marvel as they inch up before our eyes. malia now shoulder to shoulder with her mother. she is now 14. sasha 11. the next four years for them marked by first dances, college applications and dating. >> teenage hood is complicated. i should also point out that i have men with guns that surround them often. it means they never get in the car with a boy who had a beer. >> reporter: malia anxious to get her driver's license. >> >> we will have to figure out the logistics. i promised her she will learn how to drive. >> reporter: they will spend most of their lives living in the white house yet we rarely get glimpses of them or hear their voices. their parents trying to preserve benchmarks of home, family dinners, after-school games, life lessons, a family dog. >> i am so proud of you guys

and abc's sharyn alfonsi now has those new details. >> reporter: her north dakota class mates voted her most likely to be remembered. but no one thought it would be for this. paula broadwell was exceptional. high school valedictorian. homecoming queen. west point cadet. and later, a graduate student at harvard. where a chance meeting with petraeus would change everything. on c-span, revealing she approached him about researching she was doing. >> and he was kind enough to take the paper and give me his business card. >> reporter: that research led to a book and later, a book tour. broadwell was reportedly having an affair at petraeus the same time she was out promoting her book about him. >> is he awesome or incredibly awesome? >> he can turn water into bottled water. >> reporter: the 40-year-old often admired for he biceps as much as her brains, then had push up contest with jon stewart. her husband scott joining in. >> six, seven, eight. >> reporter: those book tour interviews now being viewed and revi reviewed. >> it's not -- i'm not in love with david petraeus. i know holly, his wif

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> and we thank you so much for watching this night after the big election. we are always here at abcnews.com. "nightline" will be here later. and i'll see you again tomorrow night. good night.

sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> fascinating fish bowl life that has to be for those two girls. wow. >> i don't want to be the guy that's trying to court either one of those girls. >> no, no. not with that secret service around, right? >> nope. >>> that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great thursday. and thanks for joining us, everybod