Past Tense Rising - 13

All previous notes and disclaimers are in the previous twelve chapters.

**

"Hey!" Sam jogged to catch up with Ainsley, who slowed down marginally to let
him catch up. "Where were you all day yesterday?"

"Parole hearing." she remarked, checking her messages. "Don't worry, Tribbey
okayed it."

"Parole hearing?" Sam asked. "You do realize you have a job, right?"

"I had to testify at it, Sam." Ainsley rolled her eyes. "Use your head."

"Oh?" Sam asked. "Whose hearing? If you don't mind my asking."

"My brother-in-law's." she replied, walking into her office.

"Ouch." Sam remarked. "Sorry to hear it."

Ainsley put down her messages to face him. "I'm not. He killed my sister,
after years of beating her."

Sam turned red, then looked contrite. "I'm sorry, Ainsley. That was really
insensitive."

"No, Sam, it's not your fault. Not too many people around here know about it.
Tribbey knows because he's my boss and is privy to that information. I assume
Leo knows because he's seen my FBI file. I don't think anyone else knows,
unless Leo told them." Ainsley said. "It happened a long time ago."

"Leo wouldn't tell anyone." Sam affirmed. "Is that why you're so hell bent on
helping Ginger out?"

Just then, the telephone rang.

Ainsley hit the speaker button. "Yeah?"

"Ainsley, it's Leo. Is Sam with you?"

"I'm here, Leo." Sam leaned over the desk. "What's up?"

"I'm rounding up some people. I've got CJ on the telephone here. She needs
some legal advice. Actually, Danny Concannon does. Someone plans to take him
to court for custody of his niece and he's fighting it."

"Glad to hear it." Sam said. "I'm on my way."

"Ainsley, you come too." Leo said, then disconnected.

"Let's go." Sam let his hand rest on her shoulder as she passed him, turning
the light out and closing the door.

**

"Wh--what did you say?" Ginger asked, her hands gripping the chair in front
of her.

"I asked you why you continue to put up with the abuse I subject you to. And
why you continue to put up with the abuse he subjects you to." Toby asked.

"Toby, I-- I don't know what--"

"Cut the crap, Ginger." Toby crossed the room until he was right in front of
her. "Glass in your eye, huh?" he reached for the eyepatch and paused when
she flinched away. "I won't hurt you."

"Toby--" she started to back away.

He grabbed her arm, using just enough grip to keep her in front of him. He
reached for the eyepatch and took it off. He shut his eyes for a moment at
the large purplish black eye he saw. "Oh, Ginger."

"It's nothing." she said hesitantly through tear-filled eyes and a
tear-filled voice. "Toby, please, let me go."

He let go of her. "Sit."

"Toby," she tried in a vain attempt to change the subject, "this memo sounds
really important. We should try and find it for Leo."

"Ginger, I could give a damn about the memo." Toby snapped. "Leo can live
without it. But you need some help."

"I don't need help." Ginger said. "God, first Ainsley and Sam, now you! Are
your own lives so devoid of--of--- of something more than your jobs that you
have to make up all these wild scenarios in your head?"

"Ginger, I know you're trying to piss me off and it's not going to work. I
want to know who's hitting you and why you're letting him do it." Toby said
evenly.

Just then, the telephone rang. Frustrated, Toby hit the speaker phone button.

"Are we being bombed?" he asked.

"No."

"Then it can wait." he snapped.

"Toby, it's Leo. I need to see you in my office. Now."

"Leo, I'm in the middle of something right now." Toby replied.

Ginger took the phone. "Leo? Yeah, we're done here. He's all yours." she hung
up, then got up and beat a hasty retreat.

Toby slammed his hand down on the desk. "Dammit!"

**

"So the Ashtons are filing a motion for custody?" Josh asked.

"Yeah." CJ's voice seemed oddly filtered and far away on the speaker phone.
"Danny is planning to fight it, of course, but he doesn't think he's going to
win. Mrs. Ashton did some checking up on him and some of his activities don't
make him look too good in the eyes of a child welfare court."

"Such as?" Ainsley asked, checking the notes she had already taken.

"Well, every Friday night, he goes out with some friends from the Post to a
few bars and drink." CJ said.

"Everyone goes out." Josh said. "Next?"

"She found out from one of his colleagues that he trashed his office several
months ago."

"Danny trashed his office?" Sam asked, shocked.

"Leo, I swear to God, this had better be a matter of life and death!" Toby
slammed his way into Leo's office, in a foul mood.

Leo held up a hand to Toby. "Go on, CJ."

"It was right after the Newseum shooting, several hours. He got back to his
office and found out that the shooters were after Charlie and Zoey. He went
berserk and trashed his office. He told me about it on the way down."

The rest of the staffers were silent for a moment. They had known
unconsciously that Danny Concannon was more of a friend to the administration
than plenty of others in the press room, but until then they hadn't realized
by how much.

"Hello?" CJ asked. "Guys?"

"Was it an isolated incident?" Leo asked.

"He says it is."

"I hate to bring this up," Josh said, "But when are you coming back? You've
been gone for a week and the press is wondering exactly where you are."

"Josh, I can't exactly abandon Danny when he needs me." CJ said.

"Listen, I'll make some calls." Ainsley said. "Maybe I can get someone from
Tribbey's office to go down there and make an appearance in court for Danny."

"Why not you?" Leo asked.

Ainsley shrugged. "I'd have to check it with Lionel."

"It'll be all right." Leo waved it off. "CJ, we're sending Ainsley down with
Sam, so she can go to court for him and he can testify to Danny's character.
I want them back within two days and I want you back as soon as they get down
there."

TBC

Past Tense Rising - 14

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