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Disclaimer- see Part 1 "There's No Place Like Home" - Part 7 "She WHAT?" The President shouted into his phone the next morning. Leo, Josh, CJ, and Toby all looked up at his outburst. "When did she leave? Why didn't they stop her? Why wasn't I told sooner, like as soon as she left not 5 hours later!" The President paused and took a deep breath. "Something tells me Caitlin is on her way home." Leo said looking at Josh. Josh nodded smiling slightly, knowing Caitlin. "When will she be here?" the President continued. "Fine." He finished then hung up the phone. "That girl can be the most stubborn, insufferable person, I've ever known." "Takes after her father." Leo said. "What does that mean?" The President asked looking at Leo. "Did you really expect her to just stay put, sir?" Leo asked. "I thought she would listen to her father and do as I asked." "And if the situation was reversed. If Caitlin had been in a similar situation and she told you not to come and we all told you that you couldn't go, what would you have done?" Leo asked, looking at his friend. Bartlet paused looking down. "I would have been on the first plane out." "Exactly..." "But I am her father, her parent, it's different." "No it's not. Caitlin may be an adult now, but her father and sister were just shot at, can you really blame her for wanting to come home?" "Come home, right into the battle zone." The President mumbled. "Jed, go easy on her. She's just scared." Leo said softly, but forcefully. The staff looked at him, not used to having him call the President by his nickname. The President nodded at Leo, then turned to Toby. "How's Sam?" "He came out of surgery at 3am. He is still in critical condition but the doctors are optimistic." "He regained consciousness about an hour ago." Josh added. "I stopped by this morning to check on him, on my way back to the office." "That's a good sign." Leo said. "CJ, we are going to need to brief the Press consistently throughout the day. How are you doing?" The President said. "I'm fine sir. I can do it." CJ answered strongly. "I know you can. You are the only one who could." The President answered. "Ok, let's...let's try and pick up the pieces now." "Yes sir" the group answered and got up to leave. The President moved towards his desk and stood staring out the window again, for what must have been the twelfth time in the short hours since the shooting. "Mr. President" Leo said from the doorway. "Yeah" Bartlet answered turning around. "We will pick up the pieces." TBC
There's No Place Like Home - 8
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