8.
“If we raid and our timing isn’t absolutely perfect, they’ll kill her!”
“Agent Casper,” the Director says to me. “They’re going to kill her anyway. This is a group that tried
to kill Charlie Young just for dating her. They didn’t succeed and she still dated him. She’s probably
dead already.”
“No,” I insist. “I refuse to believe that.”
“Because you’re in this too deep,” the Director counters.
“I’ve been completely objective.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“Gentlemen!” Leo barks. “Agent Wilson, the President made his feelings on this very clear. Let’s not
turn this into some kind of ridiculous pissing match. Agent Casper has been briefing the White House
for years. The President values his opinion.”
“And normally so do I…” the Director begins.
“I would appreciate it, Agent Wilson…” Leo says leaning forward and lowering his voice to a
menacing growl. “…if you wouldn’t engage me in a debate in front of the kids.” Leo sweeps his hand
along the large table at the occupants of the Situation Room, who are mostly shifting in their seats,
well, except for Nancy McNally and Chairman Fitzwallace. They look like they’re enjoying themselves
immensely.
“Let’s go over the list of demands,” Leo says.
“Which are absolutely ridiculous,” the Director says, like we don’t know. “Who exactly do they think
they’re going to fight?”
“I would imagine, *sir*, us,” I say dryly.
The doors open and everyone jumps to their feet as the President enters and takes his seat at the
head of the table. He immediately sits down and looks at the brief in front of him. “Are they kidding
me with this?” He asks.
“No, sir,” I say.
“Okay. Well, the millions of dollars isn’t that surprising, but the weapons…M2 Browning machine
guns?”
“The other factions of the group are going to want to be well armed,” I explain.
“What about the ones that have got her?” he asks me.
“Well sir, they don’t expect to be alive that much longer,” I say bluntly.
“You have a plan to raid their strongholds.”
“Yes, sir.” I say. “That’s what we were debating right before you came in.”
“Why is there a debate?” he asks me. “They know we’ll be coming for them.”
“Sir, I’m concerned that if the timing isn’t perfect that they’ll kill her.”
He straightens in his chair a bit and looks at me for a long moment. This is why he wanted me in
here, to tell him the things he doesn’t want to hear.
“Then we best make sure our timing is perfect, shouldn’t we, Agent Casper?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Leo…” the President says and Leo in turn begins to run through the plan.
It’s a good plan, with good people to execute it. But the repercussions of it…I think of Ellie upstairs,
hopefully sleeping soundly right now, but knowing she’s probably not. If this goes wrong, *I’m* the
one that’s going to have to deliver the news to her. *I’m* the one that’s going to have to break her
good heart and have the image of her devastated face burned in my mind. Me; not the Director.
“Sir,” I say quietly so only the President and Leo hear. He looks up at me from the report in front of
him. “Do you mind, sir…do you mind if I excuse myself for a little while?”
He arches a brow at me. He and Leo look at little surprised by my request, but despite the President’
s earlier request of me, I can’t *always* be heartlessly objective in this situation. There are too many
moments when it gets to me and I can’t exactly balance the way he’d prefer.
“Absolutely, Mike,” he says quietly. He squeezes my shoulder briefly right before I get up and leave
the room.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Eleanor.”
I look up at the sound of my husband’s hoarse voice. This is it. The news I’ve been terrified of
hearing.
“Oh my God,” I say, tears springing to my eyes.
“No!” he says quickly. “No, nothing’s happened.”
“Oh!” I drop my hand to my heart and breathe deeply trying to slow it down.
“But, I did do something stupid.”
I hold my hand out to him and he joins me on the couch in the Solarium.
“What’d you do now?” I ask.
“Now!?” He looks affronted.
“Well, it’s not like you’ve never done something stupid before,” I smirk.
“I just excused myself from the Situation Room. The Director is going to have my ass; Leo’s probably
going to have my ass. You don’t walk out on the President and you sure as hell don’t do it in the
Situation Room.”
“Mike, it’s hard for everyone.”
“He’s counting on me.”
“So am I,” I say simply. “So is Zoey. But I don’t expect any of this not to affect you and neither does
my father.”
“I’m sure that’s true, Ellie, but it’s not supposed to affect me in the Situation Room. That’s why the
people that are picked to be in there are in there.”
I hold my arm out for him and he falls against my shoulder. I can see how exhausted he is and I
gently ease him down to my lap and stroke his hair gently.
“I don’t deserve you,” he says softly as he drifts off to sleep. When I’m sure he’s asleep, I ease
myself out from underneath him and head downstairs. I don’t stop at the residence though, I keep
going; my secret service shadows following at a quiet distance.
When I get down to Leo’s office, he’s in there with the FBI Director. I drift quietly in and hover in the
doorway.
“Ellie!” Leo says surprised and stands up; the Director follows his lead.
“Good morning,” I say quietly.
“What are you doing down here? Do you need something?”
“I’m just wandering the halls,” I say. “It seems to set my father’s mind at ease to wander the building
when it’s this quiet.”
Leo gestures to the couch in his office and I take him up on the offer. Being pregnant is pretty
draining.
“Something on your mind?”
“Nothing and everything, you know?”
“I do,” He nods.
“Worried about my sister; worried about my husband,” I sigh. “See, he’s the one that’s going to have
to break the news to us. I can only imagine the pressure he’s under. I don’t know what I’d feel if I had
to be the one to tell him that a close member of his family died. He tries not to let it show, but he’s
only human.”
Leo glances over at the Director and back at me. “Yes, everyone is feeling powerless and stressed.”
“True,” I say. “But lucky for the two of you, my father ensured that you weren’t going to have to be
that guy. Must be nice.” I sigh dramatically and rise off the couch; the two of them rise with me, Leo’s
got a hand at my elbow and a smirk in his eye. I glance at the Director and give him my best ‘Don’t
mess with me’ Bartlet glare before looking as innocent as I can sweeping out.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
9
“Josh, we need to tell the President,” Attorney General Jason Penz tells me again. I’m getting tired of
the conversation. I look over at Oliver Babish for back up. He shrugs. Big help that one.
“I’m not going to dump this on him while his daughter is being held for ransom. Oliver’s team is
investigating the allegations and as soon as he has what he needs…”
“We’re close, Josh. If what is happening around here wasn’t happening around here, we’d already
have issued search warrants.” NOW Babish chimes in. “But we can’t issue search warrants without
making a whole lot of noise and you don’t want noise right now.”
“Search warrants for the Vice President of the United States.” Penz shakes his head and reaches for
the Advil bottle he’s already opened twice during this visit. “We can’t hold off on this, damn it.”
“That’s exactly what we have to do,” I state again. “We don’t have time for Hoynes to step down and
appoint a new Vice President in the middle of all this.”
“Then let Walken take it,” Penz suggests. “It’s the only way.”
“It’s not the only way,” I insist. “President Bartlet is in no way impaired at this time.”
“Josh…”Penz groans.
“He’s not in charge of the investigation or the hostage negotiations; he’s merely being informed of
decisions as they’re being made.”
“Merely? Get real, Josh. The man’s daughter is tied up somewhere being…He needs to step aside
for Hoynes or Walken.”
“Hoynes is under investigation for leaking classified information. He can NOT be elevated to the
Presidency!” I shout.
“Then take him out of the equation!” Penz shouts back. “Take him out of the equation or end this
fast because we’re heading for disaster here,” he says in a calmer voice, then gets up and leaves
Oliver and me alone.
“Sanctimonious bastard, isn’t he?”
“We should have pushed for Rooker,” I mutter. “What do I do, Oliver?”
Oliver looks pensive. “Stall.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Catholic Mass is amazing. The words, the responses, even the movements are prescribed and
always the same, yet one Mass can feel completely different than another. A week ago, Mike and I
had our Wedding Mass. It was filled with joy and celebration. This Mass, for Zoey, feels like a funeral;
somber and depressing. Mike is holed up in the situation room again, doing whatever it is he does to
try to bring this to a successful conclusion.
Dad hasn’t let go of my hand except to accept communion. He must feel so torn as a father and a
leader. His daughter’s life hangs in the balance of the decisions he makes. As I kneel beside him in
the pew I pray for him to feel some peace; for all of us to feel a little peace and comfort. I feel it wash
over me in the mystical way I always have since I was a child attending Mass with my family. In that
moment I know the baby I’m carrying is a boy. I just know it. I feel Dad squeeze my hand and I kiss his
cheek. We’ve never been as close as he has been with my sisters but we’ve had the ability to speak
to each other without words sometimes. This is one of those moments.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Where are we with the 25th?” I ask once the door is closed and it’s just Josh and I again.
“The papers have been drawn up, sir. Oliver Babish is reviewing them,” he answers quickly. “There’s
no rush, Mr. President. There isn’t any present need to invoke it. Your decision making has been
sound and nobody feels that your leadership has been compromised in any way.”
“That’s what Liz keeps telling me.”
“She’s right, sir.”
“Since when have you agreed with Liz?” I ask. “Since when have you even liked Liz?”
“In all fairness, sir, I like Liz just fine. It’s her pinhead husband that I have a problem with.”
“I know the feeling. Something’s been off there too, but I can only worry about one daughter at a time
right now.”
“Yes, sir,” he agrees. “Liz is fine. She’s a very strong, smart woman. All of your daughters are strong,
smart, women.” This is Josh’s way of trying to reassure me and I appreciate it, but my shoulders feel
physically weak from the load on them.
“Mr. President?” Charlie interrupts us. “A call for you on line one, sir; the Canadian Prime Minister.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.” Josh excuses himself and I reach for the phone. Please God, let this be
over soon.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Josh?” I’ve been waiting for this visit. I’m about to become President of the United States.
“Mr. Vice President,” he waits until my assistant shuts the door. “We need your help.”
“Anything I can do to help, Josh.”
“I need you to stay far away from the President and the Oval office until this situation with Zoey is
resolved.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Stay far away. If the President sees you there he’s going to start to think we’d be
better off if you were in charge, and you can’t be in charge…sir.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I demand. Josh Lyman has always had gall, but this…
“I know all about the affair with Baldwin, sir, and the sex isn’t the part of that relationship that’s going
to put you in the penalty box. Is it, John?”
Fuck.
“I don’t know what Helen has been saying…”
“We’re going to keep it very quiet, for now,” Josh tells me. “When this is over, and Zoey is safely
back home, then you and the President are going to have to have a conversation. Until then, nobody
else knows about this. Got it?”
I nod, but this isn’t the end of this discussion. As soon as he leaves, I tell my detail I need to make a
trip home.
“John!” Suzanne looks up at me startled. “I wasn’t expecting you home.”
“I need to get some things from the office,” I make up.
“The Secret Service didn’t get what you needed before?”
“When, before?” I ask in alarm.
“I’m not sure exactly. Macey said the Secret Service agents were here earlier when I was gone to get
some things from your office. She said they had their ID’s and some sort of written permission so…”
“What kind of written permission?” I demand.
“I have no idea. John? Has something happened? Is Zoey…?”
I shake my head ‘no’ but otherwise ignore her questions and rush to my private office. It takes me
only moments to discover everything has been gone through; including my safe. I am so screwed.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Dad?” He hangs up the phone and looks up at me. “I brought you something to eat.” I place a plate
in front of him.
“Thanks, Liz, but I don’t think I could manage to eat anything right now. I just had my latest briefing,”
he admits.
“Then it’s even more important that you eat something and keep up your strength,” I tell him. “Just try
a couple bites.”
He complies, but it’s forced.
“After you’re done eating, you need to get a little sleep.”
He gives me a look that says, ‘Sure I will’.
“I mean it, Dad. Even if you just lie down and close your eyes for awhile. You know Mike and Ron will
wake you immediately if there’s any news.”
“Yeah. Have you seen Josh?” Dad asks. “I paged him twice and he’s not answering.”
“He had a meeting at the OEOB,” I explain. “He’s probably just tied up there.”
“Too tied up to respond to the Leader of the Free World?” he scoffs. “He was supposed to have
some papers ready for me.”
“I’m sure he’s working on it then,” I assure him. “What kind of papers would you need right now?”
“They’re…contingency papers, that’s all.” He admits.
“You don’t need them, Dad. You’re handling all of this with unbelievable strength and clarity. I’m so
very proud of you. You’re going to be the reason my sister comes back to us. You can’t give up that
ace in the hole.”
“I may not have a choice, Liz.”
“There’s always a choice, Dad. And you always make good ones. This will be no different,” I assure
him and rub his back. Hurry back, Josh. I can’t do this act solo for much longer.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Breathe. Just breathe. If I concentrate on breathing shallowly and evenly I may not throw up again.
My head is still spinning and my stomach is still rolling. I still have the blindfold on so I have no idea
where I am or who I am with. I can hear low, angry voices and that ratchets up my fear again, so I go
back to concentrating on my breathing. In and out. In and out. My heart feels like its racing. I’m so
hungry and scared. I remember Dad warning me about something like this and now it’s real.
I did everything I was supposed to. I stayed with my detail, I carried my panic button, and still Molly
was killed and I’m being held by West Virginia White Pride for who knows what. Dad must be insane. I’
m just grateful I got to talk to Mike. Mike will get my clue, I know he will. Mike is the best at what he
does. He’ll find me and get me out of here, I know it.
I can hear bits and pieces of the conversation in the next room.
“Of course he’s going to hand over the money and the weapons. It’s his ‘baby girl’ for God’s sake. He
doesn’t care that she’s sleeping with some black kid. He’s just another liberal egghead who thinks it’s
all so great to see beyond race.” One of them chuckles humorlessly.
“I’m saying we should have stuck with the money. Who knows what kind of weapons they’re going to
cough up. They could all be rigged for all we know. With the money, we could buy our own weapons
and be sure the gun we put to the kid’s head will blow it clean off as soon as we get what we want.”
Breathe, Zoey. Just breathe.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
10.
“Good evening, Josh.”
“Oliver,” I nod walking into the counsel’s office. “You paged me?”
“It certainly didn’t take you very long to get over here.”
“My office isn’t that far away,” I reply. For crying out loud, I’ve been here going on 17 hours now
since I came back from my brief stint home.
“The Secret Service search of the Vice President’s house yielded quite the plunder,” Oliver says
dryly.
“The classified information on the DOJ settlement and Pentagon report?” I ask with dread.
“Oh, and then some,” Oliver laughs without humor. He tosses a file across his desk and I pick it up
like it was a ticking bomb…which I’m sure in a sense, it is.
When I open it up, I feel a lump in my throat slide all the way down to my stomach when I see the
contents.
“The President’s medical records,” I whisper. “But we disclosed in the hearings that the Vice
President knew as early as the convention.”
“Josh, those are Dr. Li’s medical records from the night of the shooting, the ones that were stolen a
few years ago prompting the whole disclosure that just about made me change careers,” he notes.
“The Vice President was the one that leaked them.”
“How would he have gotten them?” I ask incredulously.
“That’s something John Hoynes is going to have to explain to a Grand Jury.”
I don’t believe it; and yet, I do. I always knew that John Hoynes was calculating enough to get the
Presidency…one way or the other, and definitely not with me by his side.
“Josh, I don’t need to talk to you about the political fallout from this if it’s disclosed after the
kidnapping is resolved…since the legal fallout is ten times worse. John Hoynes has to resign now
and this has to be brought to the President. Today.”
“And if the President invokes the 25th?” I counter.
“I’m senior counsel to the Office of the President of the United States, Josh, no matter who’s sitting in
there. You can keep stalling, but this information has to be turned over to Justice. As you well know,
this is the kind of thing that triggers very publicly televised Congressional investigations.”
“I know, I know,” I say with a sigh. “It’s not losing the Vice President, believe it or not. It’s just…I don’t
know.” I feel deflated. I feel defeated. I feel disenchanted.
“I know you want to preserve his legacy,” Oliver says, and that’s exactly what it is. “But you don’t want
to ruin it at the same time. You promised the American public honesty. I’m sending this to Justice in
the morning and I’m taking it to Leo now.”
“All right,” I sigh. Now how do I stall?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“You’re kidding me.” I say to Oliver and Josh, who are standing in my office making one of the
crappiest times in my life crappier.
Oliver tosses a large file marked ‘Classified’ onto my desk. “Happy reading.”
“John Hoynes having an affair isn’t going to come as a shock to anyone.”
“No, but the leaking of classified information is,” Oliver says.
“How long have you known about this?” I ask Josh.
He rubs a hand down his face and blinks his eyes. Poor kid looks like death walking. “I don’t know.
Since shortly after we found out about Zoey.”
“Is this why you can’t seem to get the President’s letter up to the Residence?” Leo asked. “I mean it’s
what, five sentences long?”
“Yeah.”
I briefly thumb through the file before me. Wow. This must have been quite the blow for Josh. Not
that Josh is all that naïve when it came to John Hoynes, but it must just be disappointment after
disappointment.
And the President…I can’t believe I have to take this to the President.
“Margaret!” It seems like she’s through the door before her name is finished. “Call down to the
Situation Room and send up Agent Casper.”
She nods and leaves.
“Isn’t this more the U.S. Attorney’s purview?” I ask.
“I want him up there when I tell the President.” I say gruffly. “I need someone there who’s also
downstairs to help me gauge specific reactions, plus Mike was working on the Dr. Li thing.”
“I’ve called the Attorney General,” Oliver says. “We’re meeting at 7:30.” I look at the clock on the
wall, eight hours.
I sit down in my chair and open the file in front of me. Josh starts to pace and Oliver starts to look
bored. It’s not long before Mike comes in.
“That was fast,” Josh notes.
“We have a secret elevator,” Mike deadpans.
“Seriously?” Josh asks hiking his eyebrows up. That kid will believe anything if it’s delivered with a
straight face by someone he trusts.
“No.” Mike replies like he can’t possibly fathom Josh believing that. I smirk.
“Listen, Mike, it’s been discovered…wait, how did you even have an inkling of this?” I turn to Josh
and Oliver.
“Chris Wick brought it to Ainsley Hayes,” Josh says quietly. Mike’s eyes widen a bit I blow out a
breath. Congressman Wick has been Hoynes’ political patsy for quite some time. It’s been a source
of tension between him, Congressman Skinner and my Deputy Chief of Staff. This is the stuff prime
time dramas are made of. We could call it ‘As the White House Turns’. Maybe this could be the part
when my guy goes out in a blaze of glory.
I turn back to Mike. “It has been suspected and substantiated that the Vice President has been
leaking classified information, including the President’s medical records, which were stolen from Dr.
Li’s house, to a woman named Helen Baldwin who is now writing a tell-all book. Oliver here is going to
be meeting with the Attorney General first thing in the morning.”
Mike looks at me for a long moment, over to Josh, over to Oliver, and back to me. His eyebrows pull
together and he looks confused.
“I’m sorry, sir,” He says. “Can you repeat that please?”
I’m sure it’s not that he didn’t understand or is suffering from lack of sleep like the rest of us, but
more that he can’t believe that this nightmare can keep getting worse.
“You heard me the first time.”
“Does the President know?”
“He’s about to,” I reply. “I want you up there with me.”
“To be the target!?” he yelps.
“You serve at the pleasure of the President,” I counter with a mischievous grin.
“No, I’m actually employed by the Department of Justice and if you don’t think I’m thinking of other
careers right now…”
“Welcome to my world,” Oliver mutters cutting off Mike’s little tirade.
Mike sighs and looks over at Josh again before looking at me. “How is he even supposed to…I mean
how can he absorb something like this right now?” Mike feels the same personal pain for the
President we all do. No one wants to have to add to his burden now. Mike’s right: How much more is
Jed really expected to take?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Elizabeth, what are we doing out here?” my father sighs deeply.
“It’s the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden,” I say as if that should explain everything.
“Yes, I’m aware of that.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“In the daylight, I suppose…oh, and not in the middle of winter.”
“Honestly dad, we’re from New England,” I say dramatically.
“Sweetheart, you remember I have a Nobel Prize and a PhD, right?” he says. Busted.
“Yes, of course.”
“So exactly how long am I supposed to go without noticing you and my Deputy Chief of Staff have
fallen into some kind of Three’s Company episode?”
“Dad…”
“The country comes first, Elizabeth. That’s the difference between a good President and the guy that
sat behind the desk for a few years.”
“But you haven’t done anything that anyone would question. You’ve been very professional. Leo
would be the very first person to step in if he thought you were making bad decisions,” I say
earnestly. “Signing the letter…you just can’t do it, dad, you can’t.”
“I never said I made the decision to sign it,” he points out. “I just want to have it in case I need it.”
“You might change your mind if you knew who you’d be elevating,” I mumble and look away.
“It’s basic Government 101, sweetie: The President conveys power to the Vice President; if there is
no Vice President, he conveys power to the Speaker of the House and they’ve covered like 30
people after that guy. In this particular instance, the Vice President is John Hoynes.”
“Har har,” I reply dryly.
“I think there’s something more you and Josh aren’t telling me.”
“Well, yeah, Dad, actually there is.”
“Well, come to Jesus then, let’s hear it.”
I take a deep breath, but before I can say anything, Leo, Oliver Babish, Mike and Josh appear over
his shoulder.
“Sir,” Leo says. “There’s something you need to know.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
11.
I’m watching the President’s face carefully. I think he was afraid there was bad news about Zoey. This
one, he didn’t see coming.
“This is why you and my daughter have been stalling me?!” he raises his voice.
“We had to be sure before we brought it to you, Mr. President,” I try to explain. “We didn’t want you
to make a move that would elevate John Hoynes when he was under investigation.”
“A fact I’m sure I’m intelligent enough to comprehend,” he’s nearly shouting now.
“No doubt, sir, but I didn’t want to burden you with one more thing unless it couldn’t be helped.”
He takes that in and calms down a bit. “Where is he now?” he asks with a sigh.
“Hoynes?” Leo clarifies and the President nods. “He’s at his residence, where we’d like him to remain
until he tenders his resignation.”
“Resignation?!” The President shouts again. “I want his ass fired! Look where he’s left me! Left his
country!”
“Sir, it’s not legally possible to fire the Vice President,” Oliver speaks up bravely. “You can request
his resignation, strip him of any responsibilities or duties…”
“I’d start with NASA,” I mention for the hell of it.
“Or he can be brought up on impeachment charges.” Oliver completes the list of options.
“He’ll resign before any of that can happen.” I offer.
“Which leaves me with Glen Walken if I need to invoke the 25th,” he sighs again.
“Sir, we have a new lead in our investigation. We’ve narrowed the search to three locations that have
been newly purchased by the WVWP,” Mike adds. “We’re almost ready to make a simultaneous run
on all three locations. It’s just going to be a matter of hours now, I swear.”
“I’d like the room please,” the President requests. “Josh, you and Leo stay.” He waited until the room
was cleared of the rest of the group. “What the hell do I do now?” he asks with a resigned sigh.
Leo and I exchange helpless looks with each other. No way am I going first.
“Sir…we hold tight until Mike’s task force can report the results from this raid they have planned. We’
ll just take it one step at a time,” Leo suggests.
“One step at a time,” the President scoffs. “That’s not your daughter being held for ransom, Leo!”
“I can’t even begin to imagine, sir,” Leo tries to placate him.
“If it was Mallory? What would you do then?” President Bartlet presses.
“I’d listen to my closest advisors and trust them to help me keep the Government on a clear course.”
“I honestly don’t care if the Government is on course,” he admits quietly. “I don’t care if Walken takes
over.”
“That’s why you have to trust us right now, sir,” I offer. “You can only afford to care about Zoey right
now, and we all understand that, but believe me when I say that there will be political ramifications in
a few hours when she comes home safely to President Walken.”
He looks up at me when I state that. “You really think she’ll be coming home soon? Unharmed?”
“I do, Mr. President, with all my heart.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I trust Mike Casper and Ron Butterfield. They both say it’s just a matter of a few hours now. These
pinheads don’t stand a chance against the Secret Service AND the F.B.I.” I state unequivocally.
He nods thoughtfully. “We’ll give it a few more hours, but I’m telling you honestly gentlemen, I don’t
know how much more I can take.”
“I understand, Mr. President,” Leo sighs in relief. “We’ll both be in the building if you need us for
anything.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.” I say somberly.
“Wait.” The President requests. “I’d like it if you’d stay awhile…talk about sports…the
weather…anything but this.”
“Sir, even if you want to talk about all the National Parks, I’m right here,” I smile and sit across from
his as Leo takes a seat next to him. It looks like it’s going to be another long night.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The raised voices have been getting louder and the voices have become more slurred; drinking no
doubt. Neither of these facts is good for me, so I’ve been practicing other facts. I did all the
multiplication tables for awhile, but now I’ve moved on to naming all the Presidents in order. I just
leave off the last name because even thinking it makes me cry and I can’t afford to cry anymore.
When I cry I get all sniffly and with the gag in my mouth getting sniffly makes it difficult to breathe.
Asshole number 3 brought me some food an hour ago, but I was afraid that they’d dosed it with
something so I refused to eat even though I’m starving. I pray that the guys figured out my clue and
that they’re on their way here even now, but part of me doesn’t believe it and I’m afraid these might
be my final hours on earth. Shit, here come the tears again…
Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson…okay, I’m good again. Phew…
I’ve identified four different assholes holding me here, while other assholes come and go. Suddenly
the door is thrown open.
“Get up, we’re moving you,” Asshole number 2 declares.
“We don’t need to do that!” Asshole number 1 shouts back to us. Unsure who to listen to, I stay
seated. Moving is not good, ever. I watch Oprah. It’s when they move you to the second location that
the really bad stuff happens.
“Jacobs hasn’t been heard from in four hours. Something’s fishy. We’re moving her.”
“Where to? We ain’t got no place ready to move her to. What’re we gonna do? Drive around with her
‘til some local Sheriff pulls us over for a broken tail light? Uh-uh! We’re staying put.”
“I’m telling you, I didn’t trust Jacobs from the start and now he’s gone missing? While we’re holding
the President’s daughter?” Asshole number 2 shakes his head in the negative.
“We found him!” comes the voice of Asshole number three. Seconds later he pushes some scruffy
looking guy into the room and onto the floor.
Asshole number two leans over him and looks menacing. “Where the hell you been, boy?”
“Busy.” The guy I’m assuming is Jacobs sneers back. He gets backhanded for his trouble. “Damn it, I
was on my own time. I had private business!”
“Ain’t no such thing as private business when we’re doing what we’re doing here,” Asshole number
one informs him. “Where. Were. You.”
Asshole number two cocks his handgun and puts it to Jacobs ear. “Start talking.”
“I was with Angie,” he nearly shouts.
“For four hours?!” Asshole number two looks dubious.
“I’m thorough,” Jacobs snarks. “And it took a little while to get her drunk enough to forget about
Williams,” he admits sheepishly.
“You’ve been with Angie?” Asshole number one whistles.
“Williams is gonna shoot off your dick,” Asshole number three hoots.
“That’s kind of why I was trying to keep the information to myself, shit head!” Jacobs has guts, but I
can’t help thinking his smart aleck answers are going to get him into trouble. When the other three
men look at each other, considering whether or not he’s telling the truth, he adds a little info. That’s
when I know he’s lying. “Go ahead and ask Angie yourself. She’ll tell you. Just don’t tell Williams,
okay?”
The men look around again and then nod. “If we find out you’re lying…” Asshole number two
pretends to shoot the gun at Jacobs head.
“I know this business is making everyone a little paranoid, but seriously, I was just with Angie!”
Jacobs insists.
“Until Angie verifies that piece of information you stay right here with her,” Asshole number two
declares. Jacobs looks aggravated, but stays seated on the floor where he’d been pushed and
makes a ‘whatever’ gesture with his arms and shoulders. As soon as the door closes he moves
closer to me.
“I can’t risk taking off your gag, right now Zoey. Are you okay?” he asks me and my eyes go wide
before I nod ‘yes’. “I’m Agent Jeffers with the F.B.I. I work for Mike Casper. They know you’re here,
and they’re on their way. Just hang in there a little longer, okay?”
I nod my head fervently and start to cry. They’re on their way?!
“Don’t cry, Zoey. It’ll all be over soon.” That just makes me cry harder and alarms Jeffers/Jacobs.
“Try to think of something else,” he advises.
…Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison….
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We split up into three joint task forces, and the Director sent two other very capable Agents to the
two other targets, but I requested this one. It looks right, has the right set up and just…feels right,
okay? I’m convinced Zoey Bartlet is here. Now we just need to get her out before the guys at the
exchange right now discover the weapons are fake and the money is funny. We’re on a tight
schedule here.
I motion for the members of my team to fan out. Ron does the same. Yes, Ron has the same ‘feeling’
that I do and that heartens me as well. He’s a fantastic cop, even if he does work for the USSS.
Slowly and stealthily we move closer to the compound. We run into a couple ‘sentries’ and with two
clean taps to their heads, they’re both down without a sound. I pick up their earpieces just in case
they’re asked to report or we can glean some important information. Within seconds, we’re all in
position to bust in. We count down from 10…9…8…7….6….5…4…3….2…Hang on, Zoey.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
I’m getting antsy because they should be here by now. I know my alibi with Angie will hold up for a
short while at least because the bureau took her into temporary custody. Why aren’t they crashing in
right at this moment? It’s been too long.
Zoey throws a worried glance my way. I guess I’m not the only one who’s feeling antsy.
“It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. I promise.” I try to assure her and she looks grateful.
Poor kid.
“Think about the first thing you’re going to do when you get out of here and concentrate on that.”
The door crashes in then but it’s not the cavalry. It’s the black hats.
“She dies now!” Tyson shouts as he comes in waving his gun.
“What the hell?!” I shout back and move to partially block Zoey without looking obvious about it;
Tyson keep his eyes on Zoey.
“Your God Damned father thought it would be amusing to send us fake weapons and money.
Obviously, he doesn’t care as much about you as we thought. Should have grabbed one of the older
sisters, I guess, huh?”
“Hold on.” Saunders, the more reasonable of the two tries to hold Tyson back. “We kill her we lose
our only bargaining chip.”
“Then what do YOU say we do after they played us like that?” Tyson demands.
“We hurt her and let her father hear about it,” Saunders suggests. “Live.” I can see Zoey start to
shake. I don’t blame her. “A shot in the shoulder ought to do it.” He opens his cell and makes the
call, when I assume they get the President it gets deadly silent in the room.
“She’d like to talk to you too, sir, but she can’t come to the phone right now. You can probably hear
her voice though if you listen hard,” Saunders tells him when Tyson raises his weapon. As the shot
goes off, I throw myself in front of it. Zoey screams and I can dimly hear the President screaming in
the phone. Son of a bitch, this hurts. Where the hell is Casper?
“Freeze! F.B.I!” Mike shouts right on cue. Within seconds, the black hats are either shot or in
custody. EMT’s are swarming around Zoey, but as soon as the gag is off she crawls over to me and
insists that the EMT’s are working on me first. She’s some class act, Zoey Bartlet.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s Agent Jeffers who got shot. He took the bullet when they were trying to shoot
me!” she shouts.
“We’ll take care of both of you,” one of the EMT’s assures her. Mike Casper leans over me.
“Shit. You’re going to have to go on medical leave now, Jeffers,” Mike teases me. “You’re going to be
fine. You did a hell of a job here. I’m proud of you.” He says.
“Thanks,” I manage before I hiss in pain at whatever they’re doing to my shoulder. A moment later
they give me something for the pain that sends me dreaming and this time the dream does not
become the nightmare I’ve been living lately.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
12.
Zoey flings herself frantically into my arms and I hug the shit out of her. “Mike!” she sobs into my
shoulder.
“It’s all right; you’re safe,” I coo into her ear and I’m man enough to admit that I’m crying too. “Are you
hurt?”
“No, not really,” she says, her voice…make that her entire body is trembling. “Bruised and achy. And
I’m starving.”
“I’m sure the White House chef will make you anything you want,” I chuckle, hugging her tightly again.
That’s when I notice she’s burning up. “You feel like you’ve got a fever.”
“I can check her over in the rig,” our medic says.
“No!” she screeches and wraps her arms around me as tight as she can. “I don’t need it. I’ll just wait
for my mom.”
“Okay,” I agree quickly. I get a glare from the medic and Ron Butterfield. “She can ride with us, right
Ron?”
“I’d rather she go in the ambulance,” Ron replies.
Zoey shakes her head frantically and digs her fingers into my jacket. “Ron, she’s a little freaked out
here,” I say dropping my voice. “Why can’t the medic ride in the front seat of our car?”
Ron sighs as Zoey buries her head in my shoulder and then he nods his consent. “Thank you,” she
whispers to me.
“Seems like a pretty small concession,” I reply, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket and dialing the
Residence.
“I mean for everything,” she replies. “I knew you’d be the one to find me.”
“I had a little help in that department.”
“I know. You’re still the best brother-in-law ever.”
“Well, considering my competition…” I grin as Ellie answers the phone.
“Mike! What’s going on?” she asks desperately.
“If you put the phone on speaker, you can all speak with your sister at the same time,” I smile and
tears streak down Zoey’s face as I hit the speaker on my cell so we can walk and talk.
“Speaker…” Ellie mutters. “How do you put this…where the hell is the button…how do you work this
fucking phone!?”
There’s some fumbling on the other end and Zoey’s eyes go wide at her usually gentle sister’s
language.
“You’re a bad influence.”
“She’s hormonal,” I shrug.
“Don’t have puppies, Ellie,” Liz says on the other end. “Here.”
“Zoey!” It’s the frantic voice of Abbey Bartlet.
“Mom!” Zoey’s voice goes hysterical and I hear nothing but female shrieking, crying and just general
incoherency.
I try to spout off details of her current condition in the pauses, but it seems to be fruitless battle, so I
just let them cry on the phone as we settle into the back seat of a Suburban. When she can do
nothing more but hiccup and she falls asleep on my shoulder, I finally fill in the rest of the First
Family on her condition. When I tell Abbey she’s refusing medical care, I hear her order someone to
bring in Millicent Griffith and her instructions that they’ll take care of Zoey themselves.
I feel horrible about waking her up when we reach the chopper, but she probably wouldn’t sleep on
that anyway. As soon as we’re buckled in, she drops her head onto my shoulder, but doesn’t sleep.
Now it’s a short ride to the South Lawn of the White House where her family is waiting impatiently,
even the elusive Doug is hanging off on the side. They engulf her before her feet even hit the
ground; her parents and her sisters squeezing her tightly.
After Ellie lets her go, she throws herself at me and sobs into my shoulder. The President squeezes
my shoulder, tosses a glance at my brother-in-law and quips, “You’ve officially become my favorite.”
“All in a days work, sir.” I say sheepishly. I feel kind of uncomfortable with the curtain call here. I was
just doing my job and it’s not like I did it all by myself, hell, I didn’t even figure out the clue. Abbey
smacks me with a big kiss and we all move into the White House together.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Chris and I watch the televisions in my office as CJ appears on screen to announce the safe return
of Zoey Bartlet. Thank God half this nightmare is over. When I called Donna, she was pretty much a
blubbering mess. I haven’t actually seen Zoey yet. I actually don’t anticipate seeing her for a while.
I tip my head back and blow out a long breath, looking at the ceiling. I’m looking forward to sleeping
in my own bed tonight. Who knows when I’m going to see it again once this crap with Hoynes gets
rolling? I prop my feet up on my desk and Chris does the same from where he’s seated on the side
so he can see the TVs.
“Am I a terrible person for breaking up with my girlfriend over the phone?” he asks.
“Considering this particular girlfriend, I can’t say I’d be all that broken up by it,” I smirk.
“You know she didn’t sound too upset about it.”
“She’s a robot, she probably wasn’t.”
“I thought the term was fembot.”
“Either way,” I grin, popping open another beer. He takes a long pull off his. “Besides, I’m sure there’
s someone around here that will be able to mend your broken heart.”
“I can’t even believe she’s still talking to me,” he mutters.
“You’re worth talking to,” I say and punch him lightly in the shoulder. Mike appears in the doorway
looking like he got dropped from a plane. He picks the last beer up from my desk, pops it open and
chugs most of it down. With an ungentlemanly belch, he sits down in the other chair, likewise
propping his feet up on my desk.
“Well, I’ll second that,” Chris quips.
“Well done, Secret Agent Man,” I smile.
“I’m officially the favorite son-in-law,” he replies, drawn in by CJ fielding questions.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in there?” Chris asks.
“I gave it to that guy,” Mike replies, pointing to a man on the corner of the TV screen.
“How’d she look?” I ask quietly with a sidelong glance at him.
“Scared shitless,” he replies. “But she’s all right, bruised up a bit and probably more than a little
fucked up in the head over it, but she’s a tough kid, I think she’ll pull through just fine.”
“Well, she’s got a lot of people to take care of her,” Chris says.
“Ellie was saying the First Lady will probably bring her up to the farm for a little while; keep her out of
the spotlight.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” I reply. “She’s not going to be able to move around this building without people
bugging her.”
“I’ll probably go up for a few days myself.”
“Is the *entire* family going?” I non-ask the question.
“I’m not sure,” he says taking another long sip of his beer. On the one hand, I think the country would
expect that of the President; on the other, I’m not so sure he should be out of the White House when
the Vice President resigns.
Will the fires *ever* be put out?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Donna, I’m fine,” he sighs for the tenth time as I practically cluck over him now that he’s finally home.
“You don’t LOOK fine, Joshua,” I counter. “You look dead on your feet.” FINALLY, something I can
actually DO.
“Well, I am dead on my feet, baby, but there’s nothing wrong with me that a few hours in bed won’t
take care of.”
I arch my brow at him.
“Okay, I really meant a few hours sleeping. I didn’t mean to sound like now that the man is home, he’
s looking for his woman and all that other stuff…”
“Josh,” I say with a laugh. “You really are too tired; I know what you meant.”
He leans over where we’re sitting on the bed and allows himself to fall against me. I can feel the lack
of strength he has now. It’s amazing what copious amounts of energy will do for your endurance
levels. Of course, when Josh crashes after episodes like this at work, it’s usually pretty hard.
“Listen Donna, I HAVE to go into work tomorrow,” he murmurs into my chest.
“Not likely, Josh,” I scoff immediately. What is he nuts? He’s been there basically non-stop since all
this started. He’s finally home after days of eating like crap and not sleeping, with stress levels so
high I have to chip them off the ceiling and he thinks he’s going right back? Who does he think he’s
talking to here?
He lifts his head up and looks me right in the eye. All traces of humor are completely gone. “I HAVE
to go back tomorrow, Donna. I absolutely CAN’T take the day off.”
God, NOW what’s going on?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
13.
I take a shower and drop into bed with my wife. Soon, the twins will be up and there will be no peace
in the house then. I slowly and methodically explain what’s going on with Hoynes. I’m interested to
see there’s no surprise on her face when I give her the news, just sad resignation.
“You don’t seem shocked.”
“I’m not,” she agrees.
“Why not? I mean, not about the affair part, but about the leaking classified information part.”
“If a man isn’t faithful to the vows he made to his wife, why would he be faithful to the vows he made
to his country?” Donna asks pointedly. “I’m so grateful that I’ve never had to worry about that in our
marriage.” She kisses me tenderly. “We’ll help the President get through this. Get some sleep.”
She leaves me in our quiet bedroom feeling pretty thankful myself.
What feels like hours later, my son uses my stomach for trampoline practice. He’s pretty good.
Brianna is pulling on my arm.
“Donna, I’m being attacked,” I whine before springing into action and tickling the kids in an all out
wrestling match. When I look up I see Donna watching us from her spot leaning on the doorjamb,
tears in her eyes.
“Do you suppose the Bartlet family is all huddled together too?” she asks above the din. I just nod.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Mom, stop hovering,” I whine.
“Not in this lifetime, baby,” Mom responds and feels my forehead again. Some of the cuts on my
wrists got infected and I’m on antibiotics.
“Dad, can you get her to stop?” I turn my best pout on him.
“I’m only the President of the United States, Zoey, I don’t have that kind of power,” he tells me and
runs his hand through my hair…again. I don’t tell him to stop though because it feels so good; like
love.
“Keep the ice on your shoulder,” Mom directs.
“Is there any word on Agent Jeffers?” I ask and see them exchange a look.
“The surgery is taking a little longer than they anticipated, but everyone agrees he’ll be fine,” Mom
answers.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I ask just as Ellie comes in.
“I brought ice cream and potato chips.” She places them in front of me in a ‘ta da!’ type motion.
“What? They’re your favorite snacks.”
“Not together!” I burst out laughing. “Oh, Ellie, thanks! It’s so good to be with you! Where’s Liz?”
“She’s upstairs settling the kids in,” Dad reports. “They’re going to join you in Manchester for a week
or so.”
I groan. “Doug too?”
“Good question,” Ellie mutters.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Where are the kids?” Doug asks when he joins me in our room.
“In bed, it’s nearly midnight,” I reply shortly.
“I just had to make a few calls,” Doug explains.
“A few calls or a few interviews?” I ask. “I heard you on the phone with the Herald.”
“We’re a very influential family, Liz. People want to know what’s happening with us; with Zoey. Is she
really going to Manchester?”
“Yes, along with Mom, me, and the kids.”
“I could clear things for a few days and join you too.”
“No, you’re going to be way too busy,” I inform him.
“Busy? With what?”
“Firing the nanny and packing your things. I expect you to be moved out by the time the kids and I
get home in one week.”
“Liz, wait.”
“I did wait, Doug. I’ve waited and waited for you to grow up and be a father to our kids, a faithful
husband to me. Seeing Zoey go through all this reminded me that she’s not the only strong Bartlet
daughter.” I grab my overnight bag. I’m sleeping in Ellie’s room tonight. “You’ll be hearing from my
attorney shortly,” I share as I slam the door behind me. God, that felt good.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“If it isn’t the hero of the day,” I call out when I see him cross the lobby.
“I think you’re confusing me with Mike Casper or Agent Jeffers,” he replies, blushing slightly.
“No, no. I got it straight from Mike Casper himself. YOU figured out the clue Zoey used to tell you who
was holding her. You’ve got to be feeling pretty good tonight!”
“Ginger, the President of the United States just finished personally thanking me for my part in
rescuing his daughter from the West Virginia White Pride, and I assure you that the highlight of my
day is seeing you right now.”
I do an imitation of a fish while I try to figure out how to respond to that. “I…uh…that’s quite a
compliment.”
“I mean it. Unfortunately I’m way too tired to do anything about it right now.” He lifts my hand to his
lips. “Will you take a rain check?” he asks and I nod. “Good…oh, and you should know I told Amy
Gardner that she and I are done. For good. Have a great day!” he calls out as he leaves the
building. I think he just ensured that.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“You asked to see me, Mr. President?” I ask from the door to the Oval office.
“Yes, come in John,” he motions me forward and I close the door behind me.
“Let me say how very relieved we all are that Zoey is home safe.”
“Thank you. You need to resign and you need to do it now,” he cuts to the chase.
“I’m not going to resign until I have some assurances,” I stand my ground. I’ve given this a lot of
thought. There’s a knock at the door and Jed calls for whoever it is to come in. It’s Josh…fantastic!
“Good morning, Mr. President. John. How is Zoey this morning, sir?”
“She’s doing much better, thanks. The caravan leaves for Manchester in about an hour and I want to
get upstairs to say good bye to them all before they go. So we need to get this settled quickly. John
says he won’t resign until he’s given some assurances. I’m going to take a wild guess and say that
those assurances will come in the form of some kind of pardon,” the President sums up.
“No way in hell,” Josh responds. “John is going to write out his resignation right now and place it on
your desk, sir, or he’ll be leaving here in Federal handcuffs. Leaking classified information is a
Federal crime.”
“I made a mistake…” I begin.
“You think?!” Josh explodes. “You put everyone in this building in jeopardy with your reckless
behavior. Do everyone a favor and resign. We’ll see what kind of a deal a Federal prosecutor will be
willing to cut you if you cooperate.”
“If it were within my power to fire you, John, you’d have been fired by now,” the President chimes in.
“You know Josh well enough to know he’s an astute political operative. I’d do what he’s
recommending if I were you.”
“Here’s a paper and a pen,” Josh moves them toward me on the desk. I have more cards to play, but
I can’t play them here. If I’m going down, so is Jed Bartlet. I pick up the pen and write the requisite
words on the paper before shoving it back toward Josh.
“Oh, and your office is a crime scene, so you won’t be allowed back in there. Your personal items will
be delivered to you. You have two weeks to move out of the Naval Observatory.” Josh has all kinds
of good news.
“If you’ll excuse me, Mr. President?” I ask fuming. He nods and I leave without another word. I won’t
waste my breath on these two. There are others who will love to talk to me.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask my oldest child.
She gives me a sardonic look. She’s really Jed’s child.
“Okay, are you sure you want to do this NOW?” I change the question.
“Absolutely. Look, I know how you and Dad feel about divorce…”
“Liz, stop,” I hold up my hand to stop her monologue. “We know that there’s been…trouble for awhile
and that you’ve tried to work things out. You do what you need to do and know that your father and I
are behind you through it all.”
“But the church…” Liz objects.
“We’ve had a pretty important lesson in the last few days, don’t you think?” I ask. “First and foremost,
I want my children safe and happy. Don’t worry about anything else.” I hug her.
“Thanks, Mom.” Liz wipes her eyes.
“We need more ice cream,” Ellie announces as she and Mike come through the kitchen door.
“Zoey wants MORE ice cream?” I question.
“No. *I* do,” Ellie frowns. “What’s wrong Lizzie?”
“I…” Liz throws an anxious look at Mike.
“I’ll just excuse myself.” Mike offers.
“No, please don’t. You’re part of the family now,” Liz points out. “Which is more than I can say for
Doug. I’ve asked him to move out…well, demanded actually. I’ve already called an attorney. I’m
getting a divorce.”
“Oh, Liz,” Ellie starts bawling and wraps her arms around her sister. I think it’s fair to say that Ellie’s
hormones are slightly out of whack. “I’m sad for you and happy for you all at once. How can that be?”
“I think it’s called ‘pregnancy’,” I reply. “Liz is going to be just fine. All my daughters are smart and
strong, right Michael?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he nods solemnly and takes Ellie’s hand in his to pull her back to his arms.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><>
“This means desk duty, doesn’t it?” I ask the Director.
“Getting shot and having surgery? Yes, I’m pretty sure it means TEMPORARY desk duty, Nate.” He
rolls his eyes at me. It’s bad enough that the guys are all going to give me shit for getting shot, but
desk duty…
“I’m actually here on another matter.”
“What’s that?” I ask dreading his answer.
“You have a visitor. In fact he should be here by now.” The Director opens the door to peer outside
into the hallway. “Ah, here he is now.” Two Secret Service agents come in and survey the room only
seconds before the President of the United States enters my hospital room. I struggle to sit up a bit
but the pain stops me cold.
“Please, don’t move,” the President orders. “Your boss told me you were getting bored and you
might appreciate a visit.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s very kind of you to take the time,” I manage.
“You put your life in danger, not only in your undercover assignment, but intentionally when you took
a bullet meant for my daughter. I think that warrants at least a ‘thank you’ visit, don’t you?” He
teases…I think.
“That’s simply my job, sir.”
“Perhaps, but it was a job very well done.”
“Thank you, Mr. President, but it was a team effort.”
“I appreciate that, but I still want you to know how much I appreciate YOUR part of the team effort.
Zoey is in Manchester right now, but once she gets back, I’m sure you’ll be seeing her as well. How
are you feeling?”
“I’ve got the good drugs right now, sir. Everything is a dull throb.”
“I remember the feeling,” he tells me wryly. “Do what the doctors tell you and you’ll be back on your
feet in short order. Agent Jeffers, you have my sincere thanks for all your work.” He offers his hand
and I barely manage the handshake. “You rest now.”
“I will, Mr. President.” He and his entourage leave as quickly as they came. Wait ‘til I tell Dad about
this.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
14.
“Sir…” I say as I’m allowed entry into the Oval Office and I close the door lightly behind me. The
President is sitting in his chair and Leo is on the couch. “It’s time for that conversation we talked
about a while back.”
“It’s too early,” he waves me off. I knew he’d be…difficult…when the time came.
“Not for this particular candidate, sir,” I reply.
“Candidate?” Leo asks sharply. I see the President did not share this particular plan of mine with
Leo. I am both honored that he kept my confidence and scared shitless. I think the President wanted
to witness my discomfort in this situation. Sometimes I think watching me squirm is the highlight of his
day.
“Josh is leaving us, Leo,” the President fesses up and Leo shoots me a glare.
“And what is he leaving us to do?” Theoretically the question was directed to the President, but
being under the intense and intimidating scrutiny I am at the moment, it’s quite obviously me that’s
supposed to answer.
“Run Matt Skinner’s campaign.”
“You’re leaving *The White House* to run a Congressional campaign?” Leo says. He obviously
doesn’t buy that.
“Nope,” the President replies and pops the P for emphasis. He just loves when he knows more than
Leo does and can rub it in.
“What is the good Congressman running for?” Leo is obviously not as entertained right now as the
President.
“My job,” The President gleefully answers.
“That’s why he changed parties,” Leo concludes and I nod. “Now how didn’t I see this one coming?”
“He’s been thinking about it for a while now,” I admit.
“And you’re not going to see us through the Vice Presidential confirmation? Hoynes’ resignation was
just announced this morning. You realize it’s going to look like you’re following him. You have close
ties to the former Vice President.”
“*Had* close ties,” I correct with a slight growl. I have to confess I didn’t really think of that particular
angle. But on the other hand, my Presidential candidate is gay, so I really kind of think I’ve got bigger
problems than that.
“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to,” Leo replies. “But then again, you’re running a gay candidate, so I’m assuming
you have quite the plan.”
“The beginnings of one,” I say vaguely.
“That’s what you told me at the VFW in Nashua.”
“Worked back then.”
“You know the President has to support the nominee,” Leo continues. “He can’t look like he’s
favoring anyone in the primaries.”
“I won’t need to,” The President replies. “I’m sure Ellie and Mike’s sheer proximity to Matt Skinner will
take care of that.”
“Sir, let me be very clear here,” I say. “I have no intention of asking Ellie for any kind of appearance
or statement or…”
“Have you met *any* of the females in my family, Josh? What makes you think you’ll have any sort of
control over that?”
I smirk and look down at the carpet. He’s right. I have no plans to ask that of Ellie, but I’m not sure I’ll
be able to stop her if she’s determined enough.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
“Wrong sister,” I greet as I open the door and find Mike and Liz on the other side.
“Ellie’s asleep,” he shrugs and hooks a thumb over his shoulder at his sister in law. “This one
insisted on coming along.”
“It’s been ages since I went out as a single lady,” she tosses back.
“*Single* lady?” I squeak.
“Like you didn’t expect that to be coming?” she arches a brow at me.
“Well…no.”
“Everybody knows he was having an affair, several more than likely.”
“Yes, but I didn’t…well, it doesn’t matter. Good for you, Liz,” I say. Really, it’s not like it’s going to hurt
re-election or anything. It’s just a matter of keeping the press away from her.
“So, what kind of party is this?” Liz looks around mine and Donna’s living room at the attendees. The
usual suspects of: Matt, Scott, Chris, now Ginger again, Donna, my mom, Piper, our kids and now
Mike and Liz. “Is this a celebration of my sister’s return, the Vice President’s resignation, my divorce,
Mike’s impending fatherhood or what?”
“They all seem like good reasons to drink to me,” Scott says dryly tossing back his Scotch. He’s not
as thrilled as some of us about this particular gathering.
“Actually…” Matt says. “It’s something of an unofficial campaign kick off.”
“Campaign kickoff?” Liz asks. “Who’s?”
“Matt’s,” Chris says.
“Re-election?”
“Primaries,” I reply scratching my chin and dropping my other hand to my waist.
“Senate?” she asks.
“No,” Matt replies.
“Governor?” she looks pretty surprised by that. This will knock her socks off. No one says a word,
but everyone looks at her.
“You’re kidding.” She gawks as the pieces fall into place.
“Is it too far fetched?” Matt asks. This is the first time, other than the President, that someone who is
not part of this inner circle has heard about this.
“At first blush?” she asks. “Not entirely. I have to tell you though, that campaign might actually
be…fun.”
“It’ll definitely be the best dressed,” Scott chimes in. Matt rolls his eyes.
“Don’t mind him. He’s a little overwhelmed at the idea of being First Lady.” Matt fires back.
“Apparently the White House freaks him out.”
“It freaks everybody out,” she counters.
Donna comes over to Liz with a beer. I have to confess I’m a little surprised. I would have taken her
for a wine girl myself. But I guess sometimes you just want a beer.
“Well,” Liz says raising her beer to the room. “To Skinner for America.”
“Skinner for America.” Everyone chimes after her.
Donna looks over at me and smiles widely. I can read the anticipation and uncertainty in her eyes.
This will be like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But as I watch her laugh with Ginger and
Matt, while gently stroking Brianna’s sleeping head, I just can’t seem to envision doing this if we’d
never met. I can’t remember what my life was like before she came into it.
And as my tenure with the White House ends and a new chapter begins, I can’t help but feel
completely…hopeful.
THE END