Title: Interesting Times
Author: Katie Ann
Category: General
Rating: G
Summary: This is my version of what happens after Two Cathedrals
Disclaimer: The story's mine, but the characters aren't- they belong to
Aaron
Sorkin.
Note: This is my first attempt at fic, so I hope I did okay!
Leo walked close to the President as they headed towards the briefing room, marveling
at how steady his closest of friends was- even with a moment so crucial lurking just
ahead. The raging thunder, the clamor of the press, and the staccato beat of footsteps
drowned out Leo's whispered prayer that God- the fickle master- watch over them in the
battle ahead.
And Leo was certain there would be a battle. Doubt had tried to creep into his mind and
convince him otherwise, but he knew better. The President was a fighter; he could do
nothing else but call for battle. And they'd all rush into it. A bayonet charge.
Leo smiled grimly at the thought. He remembered something Toby had once said, after a
collision that had left his shirt soaked in Josh's coffee. May you live in interesting
times. Josh had been baffled by the seemingly harmless phrase, but Leo was certain he
understood what a curse Toby had uttered.
Interesting times were times of crisis- war, disaster, panic.
Times when a tropical storm tore up the East Coast, a lawsuit against Big Tobacco was out
of money, hostages were tapped in an embassy....
And an American President just admitted to having a degenerative illness.
The founding fathers had talked about times like those- the ones that tried mens' souls.
Doubt tried to break in again, asking Leo how much more could his soul- and the souls of
the staff he considered family- take before everything came crashing down. But, as he
looked at the faces around him, he found his proof that they could all take whatever came
to them. It was in Toby's strained face as he, too, tried to drive Doubt away; in
Charlie's hands, clasped firmly behind his back so they would not tremble; in the luminous
eyes of Donna and Margaret; and in the expression CJ, Josh, and Sam all shared- that
breathless look of not daring to hope for anything for fear of ruining everything.
And the President stood out at the podium, facing the harshly bright barrage of camera
flashes, and pointed towards one of the reporters. "Yes. Sandy."
And she asked him the question. And repeated it.
The. Question.
In that heart-stopping moment, Leo knew what would happen. "Watch this!" He
declared triumphantly.
Toby looked at him as though he'd gone insane.
Then battle cry came loud and clear, "Yes. I do intend to seek reelection."
There was a collective gasp in the room, perhaps across the entire nation.
The President continued, "I ask my fellow Americans, if you cannot forgive me for my
deception, be settled- at least- to know that I realize I have done wrong. Allow me to
continue to be your servant. There is much, I feel, that needs to be
accomplished..."
Leo smiled proudly. "Tell 'em good!"
Toby shook his head and mumbled, "Incredible."
Charlie pumped his fists into the air in celebration.
CJ threw her shaky arms around Josh and Sam both, tears tracking mascara down her cheeks.
The press conference went on for several more minutes as the President fielded the
necessary questions, but it was all a blur to Leo. His mind was still fixated on The
President's initial announcement when the secret service swept him and the rest of the
staff away. The ride back to the White House was silent, but a powerfully wild feeling- an
emotion that comes only after great anxiety- radiated from person to person, car to car.
Leo savored it.
He stepped through the door that was opened for him when his car stopped, but he did not
rush inside to escape the storm. Instead, he stood in the rain to watch Toby throw his
coat over CJ to protect her from the icy downpour while Sam shook water from his hair like
a puppy and gave Josh a jubilant high-five.
The President came to stand beside him. "They're happy, Leo" he observed.
Leo nodded, grinning as Josh grabbed Donna and spun her around. "They'll fight for
you, now that you've given them the chance."
"Won't be easy."
"Yeah." Leo sighed.
"Understatement of the year, I know," the President said with a dry chuckle. He
put a hand on Leo's shoulder and led him inside. "I know you'll tell everyone to get
some rest and a meal that doesn't include caffeine. You should do that too."
"A novel concept."
The President smiled. "Thank you, old friend."
They parted ways after that. Leo headed for his office. He had a feeling he would have a
few visitors before turning out the lights.
It was Toby who came first, bellowing, "Leo! Did the world go mad and nobody told
me?"
"No, I think maybe it went sane." Leo calmly sat down behind his desk and, with
a wave of his hand, indicated Toby sit as well.
He took a chair, gripping the arms to keep from fidgeting. "Reelection," he said
flatly.
Leo nodded. "We're still the real thing, Toby."
"Try convincing the American people of that!"
"'Let one who has not sinned throw the first stone,'" he quoted.
Toby shook his head. "Leo, I hate to tell you this, but that's the most forgotten
line in literature! I'm just saying, doesn't anyone remember that this could easily take
us down all in flames?!"
"'It's better to burn out than to fade away,'" Sam remarked as he stepped
through the doorway.
Josh came in on his heels, saying, "That's, uh, Kurt Cobain."
Sam nodded. "Correct."
Leo smirked at the pair.
Toby was incredulous. "You give me a quote from a drug addict's suicide note?"
"You know, I think he was murdered." That came from CJ, who dropped herself
unceremoniously onto Leo's couch. "That note was written by two different
people."
Sam and Josh stared at her, open-mouthed.
Only CJ could possibly startle those two into a lack of words, Leo realized. He was
whole-heartedly amused by it.
Toby threw up his hands in frustration. "Getting back to relevant discussion
now... a President who just admitted to having M.S. wants to be reelected, and it's out
job to make that happen!"
Before anyone could reply, the door burst open again, and Donna- without preamble- jumped
onto Leo's desk and threw her arms around his neck. "You knew he was going to do
it!" She cried happily. " It's fantastic, isn't it?"
Leo laughed and tousled her hair. "Yes, Donna, it's fantastic." He helped her
hop of the desk without disturbing his papers. "Glad you could join us."
Donna blinked. "Us?"
"Hi, Donna," Josh called brightly.
Donna whirled around, surprised. "Oh! Hi, Josh... Sam, CJ, Toby. I didn't know you
were... Hi." She sat down, trying to look casual. "So what have I
missed?"
"It's been a strange conversation," Sam murmured.
"Oh, we were just talking about the weather," CJ said dismissively.
Josh muffled his laughter with his hand.
Leo grinned. "Donna, I think you're just in time for the important part." He
swept the room with his gaze. "I'm talking serious now. I know, crazy as it is, we're
all glad we're not backing down, even though-" he looked pointedly at Toby- "we
know it will be a tough fight to win. There will be investigations, negotiations, late
nights-"
"Press conferences," CJ supplied.
"Speeches to write," Sam chimed in.
"Sleep to lose," Josh added through a yawn.
"And all sorts of other nonsense," Leo agreed. "But we know this is the
best damn administration America's had in a long time, and we're going to make sure it
gets four more years. We'll make miracles if we have to."
"Can I do the walk on water thing?" Josh asked.
"It's a good night for it," CJ told him.
"You should try multiplying Gail."
"I mean this," Leo cut in, commanding their attention once more. "We'll
fight off Congress, the grand jury, the media, and whoever else wants to take us for a
ride. There is no group of people who could better face this than-"
"Than us, Leo," Toby finished for him.
"Yeah." Leo smiled. "But let it rest for tonight. Go home, eat, sleep, do
anything but think about this till after sunrise. You-" he remembered the President's
words to him- "we could use a break. So get out."
They obediently filtered out of his office, all hesitantly allowing exhaustion to sink in.
Josh was the last to head for the door. Before he reached it, he stopped and turned
around.
"Leo?"
"What, Josh?"
"You think we're ever... not going to be fighting something?"
Leo looked at him for a long moment- Josh, who had fought even for his own life.
"Sure," he said, "but not yet."
And it was the truth. Someday, they wouldn't be involved in any struggle, but someday was
a long way off. But, after the events of that evening, Leo didn't think having to live in
interesting times was such a curse after all. He realized that there were amazing things,
to balance out the chaos.
Like the President's faith in his people.
CJ's charm. Josh's humor. Sam's ideals.
Donna's leap onto the desk and the hug that followed.
Toby's eventual victory over Doubt.
And, most amazing of all, the unbreakable bond between those who stood together no matter
how badly the times tried their souls.
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