Author's Note: The following is a series of West Wing stories I've been
working on. I haven't written in a long time and I feel that this may not
be my best work so any feedback you can give me would be appreciated.
Title: In the Shadows #1 The Eldest Synopsis: Liz confides in Sam Rated: PG Author: GEM Feedback: you write it and I write more. Archive: Yes, but let me know first. Disclaimer I don't own West Wing. Mr. Sorkin et al does thus no Copyright infringement is intended.
Election Night
NBC news is now ready to declare the 2002 Presidential election for, Josiah Bartlet. "So it begins." "What was that Honey?" Elizabeth Bartlet looked away from the television set to see her mother walk across the room in her red business suit. "Oh, Nothing, Mom. Liz replied getting up from the bed and straightening her suit jacket. "Shall we join the celebration now that it is official?" "Victory speech, first." Abbey reminded her eldest daughter as they walked out of the residence to meet up with the President. "Ah, yes you can't forget that, now can you?" Abbey tried not to comment on her daughter's attitude as they were led to the group of loyal White House employees by two secret service agents. Abbey knew Liz wasn't happy with Jed running for a second term. Truth be told neither was she but she had grown to accept the facts. As she got to the Limo she silently hoped Liz would soon accept the same.
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After returning from Bartlet Headquarters and the victory speech Liz quietly joined the celebration. ' Why should this bother me? It what he wants.' She thought "Hey stranger." Liz turned around startled "Hey yourself, Don't you know your not supposed to sneak up on people?" Sam smiled "Yeah, sorry." "That's okay" Liz replied. Out of nervous or habit she straighten her black suit jacket once again. "Nice speech tonight." "Thanks. He went off the prompter." "That's nothing new." Liz started to walk toward the door she hated gathering like this, not enough air. Sam followed "Are you Okay?" "I'm fine. Why do you ask?" "You seem down about something. Do you want to talk? We can get some air." Sam suggested motioning toward the door. Liz gratefully accepted the opportunity to retreat from the scene and they made their way out of the reception. "So, what's on your mind?" "Not much." Liz lied. "Come on Lizzy, your not talking to Toby anymore. This is me." "I'm not cut out for politics. I need privacy, quiet, routine, commonality, normalcy. I have a child to raise, a husband. For once in my life I want to able to go to a movie without the added attention but I can't. I'm the President's daughter, so I can't do that. I want to go to bed at night and worry about Annie's ballet recital and not whether she going to be attacked at school because Grandpa is President. Do you have any idea what it like, Sam, any idea?" Sam was for once at a lose for words. "No, I don't but I do know that return to normalcy is something Warren G. Harding tried and it didn't really work." Sam laughed. Liz giggled a little. "I think I knew that." "Liz, I can't being to fathom the amount of things you have to consider at home or the amount of stress you are put under. We have stress here too. I know you are worried about your father. We all are, Liz and we are all looking out." "I wanted to be able to spend the last few good years with him. I wanted Annie to know him before." "She will, you will. You just may have to do it while America is watching, at times. In the mean time we are all here to support each other take advantage of that. We can all help each other. Don't hold it in and remember to tell him that you love him. If you don't you'll regret it forever." Liz hugged Sam and wiped a tear from her eye. "Thanks." "You're welcome." "Excuse me I have to go find someone." "I need to get back too." Sam and Liz walked back in and both went their separate ways. Sam to talk to Toby and Leo and Liz went to follow some advice given to her by an old friend.
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"You can't stand parties either?" Liz asked as she walked into the Oval office. "Too noisy, I had to get away for a while." Jed put down his book and reading glasses, stood up and hugged his daughter and then offered her a seat. "Ya, know I was mad at you." "Yeah, I figured that." "I don't want to be mad anymore. I realized watching you tonight that this is what you want; I think I always knew that. The reason I came in here was to tell you that I'm proud of you, not a lot of people in your situation would do something like this, but you, you've always been stubborn and you're not going to give up. That's what I always learned from you. I just came here to say that I Love you." "I love you too, sweet pea. I know when I first made this decision not a lot of people in my family were happy. I'm glad you've come around and I thank you for your support. Always know that I will be there to support you to the end, that's what family is for. I can't image the sacrifices that you and your sisters have to make in this situation or the fears that you face but know that your mother and I and this extended White House family will support you no matter what happens." Liz leaned forward and gave her father a hug. "I love you, Dad. Shall we go back to the party?" "We should probably make another appear or your mother will wonder what happened to us." Jed offered a hand to his eldest daughter as the walked out of the Oval Office and back to the celebration.
TBC.. In, "In the Shadows" #2 - Stuck in the Middle We meet Ellie and who is her Secret Service Agent? You'll just have to wait and see.
Title: In the Shadows #1 The Eldest Synopsis: Liz confides in Sam Rated: PG Author: GEM Feedback: you write it and I write more. Archive: Yes, but let me know first. Disclaimer I don't own West Wing. Mr. Sorkin et al does thus no Copyright infringement is intended.
Election Night
NBC news is now ready to declare the 2002 Presidential election for, Josiah Bartlet. "So it begins." "What was that Honey?" Elizabeth Bartlet looked away from the television set to see her mother walk across the room in her red business suit. "Oh, Nothing, Mom. Liz replied getting up from the bed and straightening her suit jacket. "Shall we join the celebration now that it is official?" "Victory speech, first." Abbey reminded her eldest daughter as they walked out of the residence to meet up with the President. "Ah, yes you can't forget that, now can you?" Abbey tried not to comment on her daughter's attitude as they were led to the group of loyal White House employees by two secret service agents. Abbey knew Liz wasn't happy with Jed running for a second term. Truth be told neither was she but she had grown to accept the facts. As she got to the Limo she silently hoped Liz would soon accept the same.
----
After returning from Bartlet Headquarters and the victory speech Liz quietly joined the celebration. ' Why should this bother me? It what he wants.' She thought "Hey stranger." Liz turned around startled "Hey yourself, Don't you know your not supposed to sneak up on people?" Sam smiled "Yeah, sorry." "That's okay" Liz replied. Out of nervous or habit she straighten her black suit jacket once again. "Nice speech tonight." "Thanks. He went off the prompter." "That's nothing new." Liz started to walk toward the door she hated gathering like this, not enough air. Sam followed "Are you Okay?" "I'm fine. Why do you ask?" "You seem down about something. Do you want to talk? We can get some air." Sam suggested motioning toward the door. Liz gratefully accepted the opportunity to retreat from the scene and they made their way out of the reception. "So, what's on your mind?" "Not much." Liz lied. "Come on Lizzy, your not talking to Toby anymore. This is me." "I'm not cut out for politics. I need privacy, quiet, routine, commonality, normalcy. I have a child to raise, a husband. For once in my life I want to able to go to a movie without the added attention but I can't. I'm the President's daughter, so I can't do that. I want to go to bed at night and worry about Annie's ballet recital and not whether she going to be attacked at school because Grandpa is President. Do you have any idea what it like, Sam, any idea?" Sam was for once at a lose for words. "No, I don't but I do know that return to normalcy is something Warren G. Harding tried and it didn't really work." Sam laughed. Liz giggled a little. "I think I knew that." "Liz, I can't being to fathom the amount of things you have to consider at home or the amount of stress you are put under. We have stress here too. I know you are worried about your father. We all are, Liz and we are all looking out." "I wanted to be able to spend the last few good years with him. I wanted Annie to know him before." "She will, you will. You just may have to do it while America is watching, at times. In the mean time we are all here to support each other take advantage of that. We can all help each other. Don't hold it in and remember to tell him that you love him. If you don't you'll regret it forever." Liz hugged Sam and wiped a tear from her eye. "Thanks." "You're welcome." "Excuse me I have to go find someone." "I need to get back too." Sam and Liz walked back in and both went their separate ways. Sam to talk to Toby and Leo and Liz went to follow some advice given to her by an old friend.
---
"You can't stand parties either?" Liz asked as she walked into the Oval office. "Too noisy, I had to get away for a while." Jed put down his book and reading glasses, stood up and hugged his daughter and then offered her a seat. "Ya, know I was mad at you." "Yeah, I figured that." "I don't want to be mad anymore. I realized watching you tonight that this is what you want; I think I always knew that. The reason I came in here was to tell you that I'm proud of you, not a lot of people in your situation would do something like this, but you, you've always been stubborn and you're not going to give up. That's what I always learned from you. I just came here to say that I Love you." "I love you too, sweet pea. I know when I first made this decision not a lot of people in my family were happy. I'm glad you've come around and I thank you for your support. Always know that I will be there to support you to the end, that's what family is for. I can't image the sacrifices that you and your sisters have to make in this situation or the fears that you face but know that your mother and I and this extended White House family will support you no matter what happens." Liz leaned forward and gave her father a hug. "I love you, Dad. Shall we go back to the party?" "We should probably make another appear or your mother will wonder what happened to us." Jed offered a hand to his eldest daughter as the walked out of the Oval Office and back to the celebration.
TBC.. In, "In the Shadows" #2 - Stuck in the Middle We meet Ellie and who is her Secret Service Agent? You'll just have to wait and see.