Tom and the Frog Part 2 (In which Tom thinks his frog is the only one who cares)
Disclaimer: I (sadly) don't own Designated Survivor
A/N: This is the sequel to MeredithBrody's (kendradaynes on tumblr) fic "Tom and the Frog pt1", thank you and thanks to designatedtrash on tumblr for the prompts. Alex was gone for three nights and four days, last time she was gone for this long she found her husband delirious from insomnia trying to feed his new pet jello, God knew what she'll face this time
Enjoy!
Alex couldn't wait till she was back in the white house, she was gone for three nights, four days, on a trip to Toronto for the Women's summit, last time she was gone for this long she found her husband delirious from insomnia trying to feet his new pet jello, god knows what she'll face this time around. She had given strict instructions to Emily to keep a close eye on him as long she was gone and to Mike to get him back to the residence and in bed by 10 pm maximum, he was to sleep there if he had to! Normally she would have Leo taking care of that but with their older off to college Mike would have to do.
She hoped that the frog had survived this trip, not because she actually liked the thing, she absolutely didn't, his scream had woke her up many times and that thing looked at her as if she was lunch every time she passed by his glass box. She still felt bad for the thing when she saw Tom, spoon in hand, a large bowl of jello by his side trying to force it to eat jello…
"I'm telling you he's going to kill the frog!" Emily was waiting for her at the entrance of the west wing, almost dragging her through the halls to the oval office, "Why is he trying to feed jello to the frog?" Alex asked the young woman, her voice hushed, in this building even the walls have ears, last thing either of them needed is for the Wall Street Journal to lead with the story 'The president kills that frog gifted to him carrying his name trying to feed it jello' "Because he hasn't slept in four days. With crisis after crisis after crisis, plus you going to Kenya for the girls education initiative he spent the last five days awake."
She reached the oval thanked Emily and opened the door; Tom was on his knees in front of the resolute desk spoon in hand trying to reason with a frog.
'Welcome home Alex' she thought.
XXX
Kendra was scared of opening the door to the oval office, last time she entered that room she saw the president trying to feed jello to a toad, thankfully he had forgotten all about that after sleeping for a full day and she wasn't stupid to ever mention it to a living soul ever!
"Hey girl what are you waiting for?" she turned around and saw Emily standing there "I haven't been in the oval since the toad thing happened." She confessed, Emily's eyebrows rose "This was almost two months ago Kendra!"
"I know! It's just that the president offered me jello and when I said no he said I had disappointed him greatly, thankfully he doesn't remember it but you know me! I can't keep a secret to save my life!" Emily laughed at her friend's rumble. "Let's get inside Kendra, I promise I'll step on your foot before you put it in your mouth."
XXX
"I'm telling you Cornell no one in this building understand me! I am a person, I am a man in my prime, I'm a prime man Cornell! My wife is leaving for this country and that town leaving me here alone all the time, and my entire family couldn't care less! Leo is in college doesn't even call me anymore, like I'm dead to him, Penny, you know Penny! Penny said I was bothering her yesterday because hear that, her that!" Tom stopped his rant to his only friend and ate a couple more spoonfuls of jello "Because she had homework and me being there was bothering her, my mother moved in with Alex's mom and even my kids here… don't tell Alex she forbade me from adopting my staff but they are my children they all are, any way, Aaron doesn't talk to me that often he has better friends at NSA or whatever the name is, Seth doesn't have time because the press wants answers, Lyor… well he doesn't like you so I'm not going to let him around you, Kendra avoids me like the plague and Emily wants me to pick a VP." Tom stopped for a moment eating more of his jello, "I wish I could pick you as my VP Cornell, we could change the world you and me."
"Mr. President?"
XXX
Kendra took a deep breath and followed Emily to the oval office where she found her frozen looking at a very, very similar situation
"I wish I could pick you as my VP Cornell, we could change the world you and me." Kendra's eyes widened, the president, thankfully, wasn't trying to feed the toad jello but was sitting on the floor in front of the resolute desk a big bowl of jello in his arms again eating with a table spoon while talking to an extremely high pitched voice to the toad (had he named him Cornell?) who seemed as if couldn't care less. At least it wasn't screeching.
"Mr. President?" Emily tried to get his attention, the president turned his head and looked at them a look of pure disappointment washed over his face. "Well you finally remembered I existed! Good for you, its fine don't call, don't drop by I'll just sit here with Cornell and die!" Emily bit her lip hard trying to stop the laugh that was building up in her throat.
"He sounds like my dad!" Kendra whispered in her ear. "I know, they don't call him Dad President for nothing. Alright, I'll go call the first lady she's on her way here, you take care of this." Emily turned around leaving Kendra behind who run after her "Why me again?"
"Because they both survived last time, come on, just act as if he's you dad, that's what we all do in these situations." Emily turned around and left the room before Kendra had a chance to say another word. She took a deep breath and turned to the man who was silently eating jello.
"Kendra can you get Cornell out of his cage I want to hold him since he's the only one who cares about me around here."
"Sir, I can't do that." Kendra walked closer considering weather was appropriate for her to sit down by the president or not, in the end she told herself 'what the hell' and she sat on the floor facing the exhausted man "You wife is coming soon, she's not gonna be happy if we let, Cornell right?" tom nodded, the halfway stern look on his face "Cornell here lose, they don't particularly like each other." Tom let the spoon fall from his hand and hit the beige carpet leaving a red stain from the cherry flavored jello.
"No one cares about me Kendra only Cornell, the only one who's not going to leave me" the president leaned back to the chair looking at the frog still in his cage.
This was going to be so weird…
XXX
Alex had seen this movie before, Emily waiting her in the entrance a look of anxiety and amusement on her face. "What did he do to the thing this time?"
"Named it Cornell and wants it to be the VP. Can you please never leave ever again?"
Alex rolled her eyes and took the same familiar hallways to the oval office with Emily closely following her.
She opened the door and saw her husband in an almost catatonic state just staring at the thing and that looking back. That small green monster was actually staring at her husband.
She signed to Kendra to leave the room the relieve obvious when the young lawyer passed her by thanking her, Alex left her bag and coat on the chair and walked slowly to Tom sitting down next to him. "Tom?" she whispered gently pulling him to her arms "No one cares about me in this building Alex! Not even you, I'm a man in my prime Alex I'm a prime man!" he said, his voice slurred as he could barely keep his eyes open.
"How about we go up to the residence I can have Mike bring the frog upstairs." Tom looked up to her his eyes glossy "I named him, her, well it, its name is Cornell."
"Cornell then, Mike will bring Cornell up to the residence."
She helped him up and placed the empty bowl on the coffee table before taking her coat and bag "I could jump you right now!" Tom said his eyes barely keeping open.
"You sure could, let's go upstairs."
A/N: Some West Wing Easter eggs here, did you get them? Let me know what you think!
TOM AND THE FROG FOR THE WIN!
