DISCLAIMER: The characters from the series belong to Aaron Sorkin. Andree (pronounced On-dray-uh) McCallister and Jarem Cavanaugh are of my own creation.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: More or less the only thing I do when I can't sleep is think. Usually it pertains to whatever it is I was doing before going to bed. In this case I had just watched "Noel" and started to think of alternate storylines. My version starts after "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen". This is what I came up with.

Silver flecks.

That's all Josh could come up with to describe the spackled ceiling above his head. It had been over two weeks since his return home from the hospital and he had spent what seemed like every second of that time lying in bed. The doctors had been very insistent that he get an ample amount of bed rest. Donna, it seemed, was in cahoots with the doctors. She would stop by once a day to bring his mail and update him on what was going on at the White House.

'She leaves out all the good stuff…' he thought to himself. That had, in fact, been very true. Josh's assistant deliberately left out the seemingly stressful facts about the day to day routine in the West Wing, a point the surgeon emphasized upon his release.

It was maddening just lying there and doing absolutely nothing. Especially on a day like this where the only sounds came from the TV and the rain beating against the window. Donna had come and gone, not reporting anything of substance. So here he was, doing nothing and being utterly bored.

"J!" Lieutenant Colonel Andree McCallister hollered down the corridor as she walked from her office. Her Navy counterpart, Lieutenant Commander Jarem Cavanaugh, stepped up behind the woman, tapping her on the shoulder.

"For crying out loud, Jarem! Don't do that…" she set him with a stern glare, placing her hands on her hips.

"I apologize, but I couldn't help it. You should have seen the look on your face." Jarem's soft grey eyes lit up as he smiled. A look that kept Andree from being mad at him.

"We don't have time for antics right now. The director just called, he wants to see us in his office pronto. He has a new assignment for the team." She closed the door to her office, locked it, and then began heading down the corridor again. Cavanaugh was right on her heels after the information had sunk in.

"We just got off an assignment yesterday, now he wants us to leave again?" The question went unanswered as they made their way to the other side of the building. The two colleagues walked in silence, a fact not gone unnoticed by those they passed. In an every day routine Andree and Jarem would be talking animatedly about anything and everything. It was only now, just before a mission, when they became quiet and withdrawn. It was their ways of concentrating.

Two Weeks Later

Rap. Rap. Rap.

"Sam, I think there's a bird outside my window…"

Rap. Rap. Rap.

"It's getting a little old now…"

RAP. RAP. RAP.

"Josh! Open the door!"

"Wha?" Josh sat up bolt right, a confused look on his face. He had been dreaming he was back in the hospital. There was a bird or something making noise outside the window. Or was it real? Either way, something had woken him up.

"Joshua Lyman I swear if you don't open this door right now…" the voice of CJ Cregg came loud and clear into the apartment.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Josh cut her off, slowly pushing himself up off the couch. It had only been a week since he was able to move around and he was still sore and stiff from being laid up for so long.

Getting to the door, Josh unlocked it and pulled it open, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he squinted in the bright lights of the hallway, "Man, you are one funny looking bird."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing." He moved to the side a bit and made an over exaggerated gesture ushering her into the room, "Come on in."

"Thanks." CJ eyed him warily as she stepped through the door and made a beeline for the kitchen. Pulling out a chair she set a couple of boxes down on the table and opened them up.

"So how are you feeling?" she grabbed a stack of napkins from the center of the table.

"Like death on a triscuit." Josh hobbled into the kitchen and took the chair across from CJ. He watched as one of the Styrofoam boxes was placed in front of him as well as a generous amount of napkins and some utensils.

"Well, that's an improvement from yesterday." CJ smiled and dug into her salad. The two sat there in silence for a moment.

"So what's been going on in the White House?"

"Josh."

"What? I'm just curious."

"You know what the doctor said about stress."

"CJ, I'm fine. I think I can handle things a little better now." His voice rose slightly with those last few words.

"So you think…"

"I think? What I think is that I'm the best judge of what I can handle and what I can't handle and…" he was cut off by a small high-pitched sound. CJ's beeper was going off. Pulling it from where it rested on her hip, she read the message and sighed.

"They need me back at the White House." Without another word, she stood up and headed for the door.

"Enjoy your lunch." The door slammed shut behind her and the room became quiet.

Tossing his fork into the box, Josh pushed away from the table and sighed. He was growing increasingly agitated with each day. In a matter of weeks he had managed to alienate just about every one of his friends. It was maddening being locked up in this apartment day in and day out. Josh longed to get back to work and back to a normal life. To the life he had before Rosslyn.

Andree shifted from one foot the other and looked at her watch for the second time that minute. Jarem as well as half a dozen other military officers were gathered outside the Oval Office. The team had gone through two weeks of briefings on the situation as well as each "charge." Those briefings were accompanied by several meetings with the White House Secret Service. This was to be their introduction to the people who they'd be looking after.

Without warning the door to the Oval Office opened and Director Steven Sloan stepped into the outer office. He spoke no words, just motioned for McCallister to come in. Straightening her uniform, she cast a backward glance at Cavanaugh, who nodded, and then followed Sloan in to see the President. Andree waited just inside the door as the director approached the desk where President Bartlet sat. The New Hampshire native looked up over his glasses to see there was another person present, and stood from his chair.

"Mr. President, I'd like to introduce you to Lt. Colonel Andree McCallister, United States Marine Corps." Sloan nodded in her direction and she stepped forward, taking the President's offered hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. President." She shook his hand and then stepped back.

Bartlet pulled his glasses off, folded them up and placed them into his front pocket. Taking a deep breath he went into a series of questions directed to both the director and Lt Colonel. Another fifteen minutes went by before the rest of the team was brought in. The President, in all his attention to detail, found the number of agents present to not fit what he had been told.

"If you don't mind me asking, Mr. Sloan, there are eight members of your team." He had taken his glasses out again to read a document and was now waving them around in the air.

"Yes, sir."

"If I'm not mistaken, you are only taking on 7 charges, as you call them. Am I correct?"

"Yes, Mr. President."

"I'm a bit confused."

"I apologize Mr. President, let me introduce you to my team and hopefully that will clear things up."

"I do hope so." The President again placed his glasses in his front pocket and folded his hands in front of him, waiting for Director Sloan to begin. The others were quickly brought in.

Turning to the seven other people there, he introduced them to the Commander in Chief, "From the Navy we have Lieutenant Commander Jarem Cavanaugh, the second in command and Lieutenant Commander Samuel Stone. From the Army this is Captain Marcus Piefe. Also from the Marines is Gunnery Sergeant Michael Sols. This is Major Andrew Jones of the Air Force. Lieutenant Sean Sanders of the National Guard, and this is our go-to guy Lieutenant Bart Mau of the Coast Guard." Each man shook the President's hand as offered and stepped back in line.

"So your eighth man is for support?" Sloan nodded. Bartlet mimicked the motion as a moment of understanding crossed over his face. "Very well then. Let's get the rest of the gang in here. Mrs. Landingham!"

The President's secretary opened the door after a beat and stepped inside, "Yes sir?"

"Get my senior staff in here pronto." He said this while walking back behind the massive desk.

"Yes Mr. President." With that she exited the room.

Minutes later the senior staff of the White House had gathered in the Oval Office. Some were seated, some standing, but all of them were eying the group of military personnel standing on the other side of the room. Once everyone had become comfortable and the doors were closed, President Bartlet walked back out from behind his desk and leaned against the front.

"I bet you're all wondering what you're doing here right now." He began.

"To be honest, Mr. President, the thought had crossed my mind." Toby looked at the President from the corner of his eye all the while still staring at the nine non White House staff.

Without missing a beat, Bartlet continued, "This is Director Sloan and his team. The Secret Service thought it best that they up the protection after the incident in Rosslyn."

"With all due respect, sir, that was months ago. Why start beefing up security now? And why bring in the military?" this time the voice belonged to CJ.

"Well, I think that would best be explained by the Director." He turned to Sloan, "Go ahead."

"Thank you Mr. President." Steve Sloan stepped forward just in front of the group there.

"Just to clarify a few things, I am not a member of the Armed Forces. I am what you would call a liaison between the Secret Service and the military. My official capacity is that of director of an elite team comprised of these eight officers here. They are the most highly trained people in the military today and their knowledge heavily outweighs that of the Secret Service. What's going to happen now is that you will each be assigned your own personal protection. Once I've given you the name of the officer assigned to you, you will meet with them and they will inform you of their mission." At that time a number of the staffers began to speak but Sloan stopped them by raising his hand.

"I understand you have questions but I would appreciate it if you would save them for your one-on-ones with the officers." At that time he pulled a list from his pocket and began reading off names.

"Mr. McGarry, you have been assigned to Lt. Commander Stone." The Naval officer stepped forward, shaking hands with the Chief of Staff.

"Sir, if you would mind stepping into your office we can get started." Leo merely nodded and led the way to the hallway that joined his office to the President's.

"Mr. Ziegler," Toby stood, "you have been assigned to Sergeant Sols." The Marine stepped forward much in the same manner as Stone and they left, "Mr. Seaborn you have been assigned to Major Jones." They stood and left, "and Ms. Cregg you are with Lt. Sanders." Once the final two had left, Sloan turned back to the President and the four remaining officers.

"Mr. President, with your permission I would like to send Captain Piefe and Colonel McCallister to meet up with the other two charges." He placed the list back into his pocket as he said this.

"Very well. If you don't mind, who have they been assigned to?" The President crossed his arms in front of himself and looked at Sloan.

"Vice President Hoynes and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Joshua Lyman respectively, sir. A meeting has already been set up for Captain Piefe and Colonel McCallister will be leaving shortly for Mr. Lyman's residence."

"I see. And which of your agents was lucky enough to draw my number." He glanced over at the other two officers.

"Lt. Commander Cavanaugh, sir." Jarem stepped forward.

"Uh-huh." Bartlet looked at Cavanaugh with a blank expression.

"If there is nothing else Mr. President I will leave you to speak with the Commander." The Director placed his hands at his sides and waited.

"You can leave. Let me know when everyone is finished. Though I'm fully confident in your team's ability to explain things, I'm almost positive my senior staff is going to have questions for me. I'd like to meet with them when they're done." He sat down behind the desk and pulled out his glasses once again.

"As you wish, sir. Good day Mr. President." Sloan turned on his heel, followed by Andree, Captain Piefe, and Lt Mau. Once outside the office, Steve pulled Andree aside letting the other two pass them.

"Now Andy, I don't have to remind you of the sensitivity of your case." The two stopped in the hallway outside the Roosevelt Room.

"Director, I'm fully aware of the factors involved here. I don't intend to bog down Mr. Lyman with more information then he can handle right now." She looked Sloan square in the eye, reassuring him that she had things under control.

"I hope not." He stood from his slightly hunched position and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Notify me as soon as you are finished."

"Yes, sir." Andree nodded to the director and headed toward the East Gate where a car was waiting to take her to meet Joshua Lyman.