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Chapter 18
A/N: Thanks to Adolpho for some much needed military expertise!
“Josh, General Kinney would like a moment?” Carol asked with raised
eyebrows and Josh nodded agreement. “Please come in, General.” Carol
shut the door behind him.
Josh stood and directed the General to a seat, but the General shook him
off and remained standing, so Josh did too.
“I think we need to come to an understanding before our differences further
impede our progress in Abu Dhabi.” The General began.
“We aren’t making any progress in Abu Dhabi, General, but I’m willing to
discuss it with you.”
“President Santos obviously values your counsel, and I’m sure that on
domestic issues-“
“General, I’m sure you’re not implying that the Chief of Staff to the President
of the United States should keep his nose out of military matters.” Josh
warned.
“I am suggesting that since you have no military experience, perhaps you
should keep a lower profile on these matters.” Kinney suggested.
“General, I served as President Bartlet’s Deputy Chief of Staff for 7 years
and before that served Congressmen and a United States Senator that
worked on Armed Services. I may not have served in uniform but I assure
you that I am neither naïve nor a novice in military matters.”
“Be that as it may, perhaps your personal experiences have overshadowed
your professional ones.” General Kinney continued.
“Just what the hell are you saying, General?” Josh moved around his desk
to go toe to toe with the General.
“I’m saying that if you continue to push your anti-military agenda, people are
going to start wondering why.”
“Just what do you consider to be my anti-military agenda?” Josh demanded.
“Keeping troops out of Abu Dhabi, investigating military discharges, and
adjusting the military budget.” General Kinney recited.
Josh scoffed. “Serious sins, indeed, but not entirely accurate.” He returned
to his chair and sat down before picking up a file Carol had left for him on
his desk and perusing it. “I will continue to advise the President on all
matters that come to his desk. He needs to hear all sides of the issues and I
will make sure that he does.”
“I’m not the enemy, son.”
“I’m not your son, General. I have the highest respect for your rank and your
position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but I will not be spoken to
like an errant school boy. I believe we’re done here.” Josh returned his
attention to the file in his hands.
“It appears that we are. You’d be smart to think twice before you delve any
deeper into the military discharges, Mr. Lyman.” General Kinney slammed
out the door.
“Since when have I been smart?” Josh muttered.
*****************************************
“Enough is enough. Get your coat. You’re taking me to dinner.” Ainsley
decided.
“Excuse me?” Sam looked up from his briefing memo.
“You’ve been holed up in here too long. You need to get out and I need to
eat, so let’s go.” Ainsley handed him his coat and pulled him up by the hand.
“Is this a sympathy meal?” Sam asked. “Donna told you that Molly dumped
me so you’re taking me out for a sympathy meal?”
“Since when have you known me to ever use food as a tool?” Ainsley
countered. “Besides, I already told you that you’re paying so how
sympathetic can that be?”
“Fair point.” Sam conceded and smiled. “Where am I taking you?”
“Your choice so long as it’s off campus.” Ainsley decided.
They walked in a comfortable silence for a few blocks before Ainsley broke
it. “I’m sorry about you and Molly. Nobody deserves to be treated that way.”
“It probably wasn’t fair to bring her out here and then abandon her.” Sam
acknowledged.
“There are always two sides in a relationship, but that doesn’t excuse her
infidelity; nothing does. If the relationship wasn’t working for her, she had an
obligation to say so and either try to fix it or exit from it.”
“Is that the Southern school of relationships talking?” Sam smiled.
“It’s the school of common courtesy.” Ainsley corrected. “Italian or Chinese?”
“Chinese.” Sam decided and opened the door for her to enter first. They
ordered more food than two people could possibly eat and ended up
laughing over Sam’s latest meeting with Southern Senator who was making
waves for them.
“He’s really quite reasonable, Sam. You just have to approach him the right
way.” Ainsley advised him.
“Tell you what; next time I’ll bring you along so I can learn from the master.”
Sam teased and Ainsley laughed again.
“It may surprise you to learn that that line works as well on women as it does
on men. You should keep it in reserve for when you start dating again.”
“You’ve got to be joking!” Sam sputtered. “I am never diving into the dating
pool again; I’m done.”
“Entering the priesthood are you?” She quipped.
“I don’t think they’d take me, not being Catholic.” Sam returned.
“Nonetheless, your kind has inflicted enough damage to my delicate self-
esteem. I’m going to concentrate on my job and be a favorite uncle to Josh
and Donna’s kids.”
“I don’t think so.” Ainsley opined.
“You don’t think Josh and Donna’s kids will pick me as their favorite uncle?”
“I don’t think your self-esteem is fragile and I don’t believe you’re done with
‘my kind’ either.” Ainsley offered. “You just need to choose more carefully.”
“Great. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You should. Now tell me what’s going on with Amy Gardner.”
“I met with her earlier; she’s still pretty pissed Josh won’t take her meetings.”
“Is she under the mistaken impression that she still works with us?” Ainsley
laughed.
“She’s under the mistaken impression that working with the Republican
leadership is going to cause her stock to rise in D.C. politics.” Sam told her.
“She gave me some song and dance about how we’d burned all her
Democratic bridges so if she wanted to stay in D.C., she had to work across
the aisle.”
“What a joke!” Ainsley said in disbelief. “Does she take no responsibility for
her own actions in all this?”
“None that I can see.” Sam replied. “She’s backed off the ed bill, but now
she’s pushing the military budget numbers and helping ‘progressive
Republicans’ win over the soccer moms.”
Ainsley raised her eyebrows at the snide tone Sam used when describing
‘Progressive Republicans’.
“Oh, come on, you know the Republicans have put women’s issues on the
back burner.” Sam insisted.
“Maybe Amy Gardner is the person to bring them front and center then.”
Ainsley suggested.
“I’m sure she’ll try.” Sam agreed. “In the meantime, she was doing some
saber rattling about the military discharges.”
“What’s that got to do with her?”
“She doesn’t seem to care about the issue as much as she cares about
using it for leverage.” Sam opined. “She was making some rather veiled
threats about Josh regretting digging into that issue.”
“What was she threatening him with?” Ainsley asked in puzzlement.
Sam looked down and away, avoiding her eyes. “I’m not sure, but it’s never
good when Amy thinks she’s got something to bludgeon you over the head
with.”
“You can tell me when you can’t tell me something Sam. I won’t be
offended.” Ainsley points out. “Do you honestly think that I believe I should
be privy to everything you and Josh discuss?”
“I know you don’t.” Sam said sincerely. “And it’s not a matter of trusting you
either. It’s just not my information to share, you know?”
“I know.” Ainsley nodded. “That doesn’t mean I won’t use my wiles to try to
get it out of you.”
“Your what? What are you going to use?” Sam laughed again and it hit him
that he hadn’t laughed this much in a long time.
“Wiles, Samuel, we southern women have wiles.”
“Y'all shore-lee do.” Sam faked a southern accent and made Ainsley laugh
in return.
“Don’t try to do southern, Sam. You just don’t have it down yet.” She advised.
“I’ll get it yet. I may just have to spend more time with you to practice.”
“We’ll see if that can’t be arranged.” Ainsley teased.
*********************************************
“You’re going to have lines in between your eyes if you keep squinting like
that.” Donna said from the doorway. “Where are your glasses?”
“They’re here someplace.” Josh motioned to his tornado stricken desk and
kept reading.
“I think you lose them on purpose because you don’t like them.” Donna
guessed.
“I don’t like them, but have you seen my desk?” Josh asked.
“Unfortunately, I have, and I’m sure I’ll have nightmares later. But in the
meantime, let’s find your glasses so you don’t permanently damage your
eyes.” Donna dug around until she found the offending item and placed
them on Josh’s face. “There you are. See how much better that is? And the
look is hot on you too.”
“You look worried.” Josh noted.
“You’re seeing better already.” Donna smiled, but Josh could tell it wasn’t
heartfelt.
“What’s up?” Josh asked carefully as Donna took the papers out of his hand
and sat on his lap.
“Have you, by any chance, had any conversations with Amy lately?”
“Amy Gardner?” Josh clarifies.
“No, Joshua, Amy Sedaris. Of course I’m talking about Amy Gardner.”
“I thought we weren’t talking about her anymore?”
“We aren’t. I’m asking if you are.”
“This is getting very complicated.” Josh shook his head.
“Josh!”
“No, I haven’t spoken to her. I’m not taking her calls or her meetings. Sam’s
been assigned to Amy duty.” Josh explains. “It was Lou’s job, but that didn’t
go over well on either side.”
“I think you should take her meeting.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Donna Moss?” Josh joked.
“I’m serious. You should take the meeting. She’s kicking up a lot of dust.”
“With the Republicans?” Josh chuckled. “What are you women smoking in
the East wing?”
Donna stood up angrily. “Amy has a lot of knowledge about everyone in this
administration; personal and professional, whether you like it or not.”
“Not.” Josh decided and laughed again at Donna’s expression. “You are
VASTLY overestimating Amy Gardner.”
“And I think you’re vastly underestimating her. She’s got nothing to lose and
everything to gain by taking you down in any way she can. Right now, she’s
trying to prove to the Republican leadership that she can push your buttons;
that’s her value to them.”
“Wouldn’t my taking her meetings just reinforce that theory?” Josh asked.
“When we were on the hill today, I caught wind of some rumors.”
“From whom?”
Donna shrugged. “People like me, Joshua. I’m very popular on the hill so
people talk to me. Also, many people feel sorry for me for having ahd to put
up with you for so many years.”
Josh wisely ignored the second part of her declaration. “And just what have
you heard?”
“That Amy is telling Republican leadership that she can get you to drop the
military discharge investigation.”
“Then she’s in for a rude awakening.”
“She must think she has something on you to make such a claim.” Donna
countered.
“Are you asking me if she has some kinky sex tape that she can drop on me
like an anvil?” Josh chuckled.
“Please! What have I said about that kind of talk? What is our rule about
discussing that time of the great sickness?”
“Don’t do it.” Josh replied obediently.
“Don’t do it is right.” Donna confirmed. “She’s got something Josh. She isn’t
just blowing smoke.”
“Relax, Donna. I can handle Amy Gardner.”
“There’s been little evidence of it so far.” Donna shook her head. “Please
tread carefully here. The military discharges can take a back burner for
awhile can’t they?”
“They’ve been on a back burner for too long already.” Josh refuted. “But I
promise to tread carefully, okay?”
“Okay.” Donna reluctantly agreed.
**************************************
“What’s your recommendation, General?” President Santos asked.
“You should order a carrier group and an Air Force Wing to the region.”
General Kinney responded. “We don’t need to do anything at present other
than show our teeth, but we need to be able to walk our talk if it comes to
that.”
“Josh?” The President asked for his Chief of Staff’s input.
“It’s the next logical move.” Josh agreed. “Arnie needs us to buy him some
time and we need to appear prepared to respond at a moment’s notice.”
General Kinney appeared surprised at Josh’s response. “We should do it
now, sir.” He advised the President.
“So ordered.” President Santos decided. “I want updates every 2 hours,
people.” President Santos rose and exited the sit room. There was a bustle
of activity as he left and Josh gathered his papers.
“Thank you for your support on the deployment.” General Kinney offered.
“I supported the move because it’s the right thing to do.” Josh explained. “I’ll
continue to point out when you’re wrong; you just happened to agree with
me on this one.” Josh smirked and the General reluctantly smirked back.
“Leo McGarry was a close friend of mine back in the day.” Kinney noted.
“I didn’t know that.” Josh acknowledged.
“He had great instincts and was a solid pilot.” Kinney continued.
Josh wasn’t certain where this was going, but he decided to play along. “He’s
sorely missed. He and my father were good friends so I grew up learning
politics at his knee. When my father died, he stepped in and looked out for
me. He brought me on board President Bartlet’s campaign in the early days
and gave me that shot. Everything I am and everything I have professionally,
I owe to him.”
Kinney paused thoughtfully. “I may have misjudged you based on some
things that I heard. We haven’t had the luxury of getting to know one
another before we were thrust into all this. I’d like to take a step back and
start over, if you’re willing?”
“More than willing, sir.” Josh nodded. “The better we work together, the
better we can serve the President.”
“That sounds just like something Leo would say.” Kinney noted. “You should
watch your back, Josh. Someone is going to a great deal of trouble to try to
sow doubts about your competence.”
“Thank you sir, I will.” Josh watched as the General exited. That was the
second warning in as many days. Josh wasn’t paranoid, but he wasn’t foolish
enough to ignore them either. It looked like it was time to do a little more
digging.