Title: Our House

Author: Loz

E-Mail: loz06@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Category: Leo/Margaret

Series: Third in the house series, previous Your house, Her House.

Spoilers: None

Archive (if applicable): I guess

Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated.

Summary: "Be with me." his voice is laced with emotion. "With you, you and me in this house?"

Author's Notes: This spells the end of the series.

Disclaimers: *Looks at her assets* ...Car and... nope not seeing the West Wing ownership anywhere here.

~*~

Margaret can't find him anywhere-late Friday morning and no one knows where he is, either that or they're not telling her.

When she gets back to her desk someone has left a message in an envelope on her desk.

Hello love,

I love you so love

Meet me at midday.

"Meet who where?" she says out loud and turns the note over. In the same unfamiliar handwriting an address is written. She tips the envelope upside down when she notices something inside of it.

A silver key falls onto her desk.

She picks it up and the phone to get someone to replace her.

~*~

Leo McGarry shakes the Realtors hand heartily and then happily slaps the sold sticker on the For Sale sign.

He sighs looking over the house. It has grass in the front yard and it even has a backyard.

Grass to spend lazy weekends mowing.

He happily tosses the key up in the air and catches it again, before putting it in the front door lock and stepping over the threshold.

~*~

The first thing Margaret notices when she pulls up in her car is the flower beds.

Flowers to spend lazy weekends planting.

It actually has a driveway and a garage, real off-street parking.

She rolls the front door key around in her hand till she gets to the front door, opening it and stepping across the threshold.

~*~

He inspects the study first, he's had it painted his favorite earthy browns and greens. He can

picture exactly where his desk will go and the few decorative ornaments he owns.

The bedroom walls are deep browns and reds, a perfect compromise.

He can picture where he will put his drawers full of shirts and ties. He opens the enormous cupboards where his suits will hang and where he'll drape his robe of a morning when he's late for work.

~*~

She goes into the main bathroom and picks out where she'd put her claw footed bath. She delights at the enormous storage space that would be perfect for all her cosmetics.

She makes her way into the main bedroom deciding where she'd put her dresser that holds her underwear and other miscellaneous items.

She knows her oriental quilt cover would look perfect against the color of the walls and her deep tangerine blind at the window.

From where she is in the bedroom she can see the perfect spot to put her high school painting in the living room, her frog clock hanging under it.

She runs her hands across the kitchen tabletops. It's airy and spacious, done in a non-offensive lemon, white and wood with flecks of subdued orange. The blind patterned with roses at the window makes her feel cheerful as she looks out across the backyard. There's actually an upright clothesline and a little backyard entertaining area.

~*~

He pokes his head into the three spare rooms as he makes his way back along the hall. They're all stark white, waiting to be painted for guests; grand kids... maybe even kids, who knows.

He looks out across the backyard from the living room at the entertaining area where he can sit and enjoy good company. There is also the shed up the back where he can hang tools he'll never use, for things he will never make and there's still room in the backyard.

Suddenly he can feel her, he can smell her, she's in the room.

She's drawn towards the living quarters feeling she will find him there.

~*~

"You like it?" he turns to face where she stands.

"It's great, you must have been so lucky to get it." she'd live here in a heartbeat.

"We."

"I'm sorry."

"We we're lucky to get it."

"I'm sorry."

"I want you to live here with me, I want you to be mine."

"You're back with Jenny." she stammers.

He shakes his head in the negitive. "Dump your boyfriend." he moves into her space.

"I'm not seeing anyone." she falters.

"Be with me." his voice is laced with emotion.

"With you, you and me in this house?"

"Our house." a caressing hand runs down the side of her face.

She bites her lip, blinking back tears and throwing her arms around him. "Yes." she says over his shoulder.

"Good cause I want this place to smell like you and I." he sighs.

It's then she sees it, the photo of them laughing, his arm around her on the campaign trail, framed and waiting in a box to be placed in a treasured space.

He falls out of her embrace slightly only to lean in and kiss her gently on the lips.

"Our house." she grins as they lean forehead to forehead.

~*~