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Chanukkah Gelt Jane Harper RATING: PG-13 SYNOPSIS: Leo has a special holiday gift for Sarah. ARCHIVE: Help yourself, but let me know. HTML version available upon request. DISCLAIMER: All these people except Sarah belong to the Evil Genius Aaron Sorkin and his minions. No copyright infringement is intended; but please don't sue me anyway since you got big lawyers and I got bupkus. Sarah, on the other hand, said if I didn't keep writing about her she'd tell the press that I am the love child of Mary Marsh and Peter Lillianfield...
:::0300 Friday December 21, the First Night of Chanukkah::: "I'm getting too old for this," Sarah Cooper said to Leo McGarry, putting the last of the detritus of his housewarming party into a garbage bag. "_We're_ getting too old for this. It's three in the morning. You have to be back at work in four hours." "Well then," he responded, nodding toward his daughter Mallory and her beau, Sam Seaborn. "let's let these two youngsters finish cleaning up." He took the bag from Sarah's hands and tied the handles together. "Go to bed, you two. We can handle this." Sam was putting the last of the leftovers in the refrigerator. "Mallory has a key, we can let ourselves out." "Sarah?" Leo was standing in the archway leading from the dining room in his spacious new apartment to the bedrooms in the interior. He made a sweeping gesture in front of his body as if to scoot someone down the hall. Mallory stopped what she was doing and put her hands on her hips. "Dad, you're forgetting something." Her father rubbed his forehead slowly. "I am?" "Uh-huh. I brought it over to the office today?" "Damn, you're right. It's in my briefcase." "I'll get it." She opened his well-worn leather satchel, pulled out a gift-wrapped box, and carried it over to him. He, in turn, handed it to Sarah. "Happy holiday, toots." "But you already gave me a present," she responded, her hand stroking the brand new gold Rolex Oyster Day/Date on her left wrist. "Sarah, this is something very special. He had it made up just for you," Mallory said softly. "Open it." Sam came over to stand behind Mallory, putting his arms around her shoulders. "Open it." "The whole West Wing knows about this, do they?" she muttered, tearing the wrapping away to reveal an oblong Tiffany box. "No," Leo replied, shaking his head. "Just the four of us." She opened the thin container to see a golden chain with a tiny door hanging from it. The door even had a tiny hinge than enabled it to open and shut. The enclosed card said, "One door closes and another opens - Love, Leo." "It's... it's... beautiful! Thank you!." She reached up to him and he bent down for her grateful kiss. "Maybe it's the hour, or maybe it's my old age setting in, though, but... I'm not sure I get it. A door?" "The special part is what it's made of," Mallory whispered into Sarah's ear. "Notice anything of Dad's that's missing?" Sarah's eyes scanned over him and came to rest on his hand. His left hand. Something _was_ missing... She reached out and grabbed it. "Your ring . . . you're not wearing the wedding ring Jenny gave you. Is this... ??" She looked down at the door and read the message again. "Good night, you two," Mallory said. "C'mon, Sam, let's leave these two to celebrate." Her father smiled. "Good night, baby. 'Night, Sam. I might be in a little late today." He took Sarah by the hand and pulled her down the hallway.
The End
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