Title: Past Tense Rising

Author: Kathleen Purvis

Category: crossover (The West Wing/The American President/Air Force 1);
Toby/Ginger; general

Disclaimers: Everything belongs to Sorkin, except for the Air Force
characters and situations.

Spoilers: pretty much up to and including Ellie

Summary: As the West Wing makes it way towards a state dinner in honor of two
former administrations, things happen and certain things come to light, among
them an abusive relationship that has affected a White House staffer.

**

"I'll bet you twenty bucks most of them won't even answer the
invitation, Donnatella."

"Joshua, Jim Marshall is a former president. Of course he'll come."

"Eighty percent approval rating at the end of his term, Donna. Yet he chose
to decline his party's nomination. He could have won in a landslide, beating
out whoever the hell it was who ran against Shepard for the nomination."

"That's a matter of opinion."

"Don't start with me, Claudia Jean."

"I'm just stating facts, Josh."

"Has anyone seen Ginger?" Toby poked his head into Josh's office. "She's late
again."

Leo McGarry paused and lifted his eyes heavenward, hoping for a bolt of
lightning or a heart attack or something. When none of those things happened,
he walked into Josh's open office. "Have you guys figured out the invitations
yet?"

"This is hopeless." CJ remarked from where she was lounging, or at least
attempting to lounge, on one of Josh's chairs.

"What's hopeless?" Margaret asked from behind Leo.

Leo jumped a mile. "Jesus Bloody Christ, Margaret!"

"Sorry." Margaret apologized, looking not in the least apologetic.

"It is hopeless," Josh replied to Leo's question, "to even think that Jim
Marshall and his family would even think about attending this state dinner."

"Yeah, I talked to Danny about them." CJ said. "He said they haven't given
one interview since he left office. It's like they disappeared."

"Well, you can't really blame them." Ainsley said as she and Sam walked into
the office.

"It's not that." CJ said. "I thought it wasn't a good idea to shut themselves
off from the world."

"Everyone deserves privacy." Donna pointed out, arms crossed.

"I never said they didn't." CJ said. "But I remember thinking it was awfully
strange."

"Awfully strange." Sam said, mimicking her. "AW-FULL-LY strange. Who says
that anymore?"

"Bite me, Sam." CJ snapped, annoyed.

"The bottom line is, this is what the President wants, so this is what the
President thinks he's going to get." Leo said, feeling none too hopeful
himself about the party. "Did we hear from the Shepard administration and
family?"

"All coming." Carol, CJ's assistant (who had been the assistant of the deputy
press secretary under Shepard's administration), replied. "Most of their arms
were pretty easy to twist."

"Oh, brother." Sam groaned. "Does 'everyone' mean Louis Rothchild? I can't
stand that guy. He's such a know-it-all and he always expects everyone to put
everything on hold while he talks on, using words only he can understand,
then agree with him when he's finished."

"In other words, you see in him what the rest of us despise in you." CJ
remarked.

"Shut up, CJ!" Sam cried, outraged.

"You shut up!"

"Erm, if I could have your attention," Charlie poked his head into the room,
a huge grin on his face, "the President just got a phone call from Jim
Marshall himself. He and his family are coming."

"Josh, you owe me twenty bucks." Donna said smugly.

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I DON'T!"

"DO!"

"NOT!"

"DO!"

"NOT NOT NOT!"

"DO!"

Suddenly they stopped fighting when they realized they were alone in Josh's
office.

**

TBC

Past Tense Rising - 2

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