Be not afraid

You shall cross the barren desert,
but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety,
though you do not know the way.

(Present)

"Josh?" Jed Bartlett's mangled voice caused him to tilt his head in that direction. "I'm here son."

Slowly and shakily he pulled his hand up to Lyman's chest. "Hang on Josh. You just hang on." The man moved his hands back, pushing at the wheels of his chair, moving closer to the bed. He shook his head towards the corner of the room. "Oh Leo what have we done?"

The otherperson sat wordlessly, his eyes glued on the man in the bed.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands,
and all will understand,

"I like this." Abbey Bartlett said running her hand across the back of the couch. "Did you have this last time I was here?"

"It was a gift from the Duchess of York." Helen told her wandering across the floor with a tray of mugs.

"Oh God I never could stand her." Abbey muttered.

"I'm not sure I can do this." Ainsley whispered softly leaning back against the couch in question. Both woman turned towards her. She moved her wrist across her red eyes before burying her head in her son's fluffy white hair. "I'm not sure that.."

"Ainsley." Abbey cooed.

"Honey." Helen set the tray down and sat next to her on the couch, pulling her head to her shoulder.

"I.. I didn't think it would-." She started to cry harder. "It's not Sam.. It's always been Josh.. I'm a horrible person-."

"No no. Honey.." Helen whispered softly.

"They're my friends and I was glad it was them."

"Ainsley." Abbey moaned walking around and sitting on the coffee table in front of them. She moved her hand across the five year olds legs. "When we lost Leo.. I can't say that it never crossed my mind that it should have been Jed. I can't say that I wasn't glad it wasn't."

"What am I going to do when there is no Josh? When it's my husband? My child?" Ainsley whispered. "Why do I have to put my family on the line?"

"Someone has too." Abbey told her. "And for what ever reason we love men who feel like that someone has to be them."

"We've been there." Helen said softly, reaching her hand out to Abbey. "And we'll be here for you."


You shall see the face of God and live.
 (Present)

He could see Jed Bartlett sitting at his side. His hand touching his chest, watching the corner of the room.

"Sir?" Josh whispered quietly, turning his head and following his gaze.

"Hey Josh." Lyman looked up.

"Leo?"

"Long time no see."

"I thought it would be my dad. Or Joanie." He lifted his eyebrows to his former boss. "Where's my blinding white light?"

"You're not dead Josh."

"No?"

"Nah." Leo shook his head.

"Is this where you tell me I have things left to do?"

"This is where I tell you're a good boy. This is where I say thank you."

"Yeah? For setting you up for another heart attack?"

"Really?" Leo sat next to him. "It was you who pushed thirty years of pills and booze down my throat. Then compelled me to make my best friend President of the United States?" HegaveBartlett a nod before heshook his head. "I was pretty sure all along I was the one who drug you along and got you shot. The first time anyway."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. We're here for you." He gestured towards Jed.

"Leo?"

"Son?"

"I don't regret it."

"No?"

"I changed the world. It gave me more than I ever knew I could have. It got me Donna." He watched Leo smile. "I just want to know what's next"

Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.

"Sam. You're home?" Donna rolled over when the door opened..

"Just for the night." He told her softly, pulling off his coat and moving towards the bed. "Then CJ's got me in San Diego, San Fransisco, LA then back to Texas. How is he?"

"About the same." She stretched her arms over her head before rolling off of the edge of Josh's bed. "He wastalking for a while today. He wasn't awake or anything, but he was talking.About Leo."

"McGarry?" Sam looked up startled, Donna nodded. "God I wish he was here." Donna smiled sadly. "I'm.. I can't do this alone."

"You're not." Sam jerked his head towards the door as Jed moved his wheelchair into the room. He winked at Donna. "We're here." He paused trying to force out the words. "We're not going to let you down."

If you pass through raging waters
in the sea, you shall not drown.

(A year ago.)

"Donna?" Deanna Young leaned up against the doorway of her bosses office.

"Dee, I need you to get me those-." Donna caught sight of the tears on her cheeks and her heart stopped beating. "Deanna?"

"It's Uncle Jed."

If you walk amidst the burning flames,
you shall not be harmed.

"What do they mean when they say crisis?" Sam asked loading his suitcase into the trunk of the secret service car

"I don't know. Zoey and Charlie flew out this morning right after they talked to Deanna." Josh rubbed his head, moving away from the trunk with his friend.

"CJ and Toby are on their way?"

"They were already at the airport when I talked to Danny." Josh waited for the agent to open the door before he nudged Sam inside.

Seaborn slipped his arm around Deanna's shoulder as Josh pulled his wife's hand onto his lap.

"So is this it? I mean.." Sam looked at Josh.

"You mean is he going to die." Deanna spit out, Sam rubbed her shoulder.

"We don't know that Dee." Josh said softly leaning against his wife. "He's breathing on his own. He's lost the ablitly to speak but he's still communitcating." The young woman started to cry, Sam pulled her to his shoulder.

"He's inthe progressive-relapsing stage. We knew this. It's only a matter of time now. We all knew this." Donna whispered slowly.

"I mean.. we knew it." Sam whispered. "But we never really knew it you know?"

"Yeah."

If you stand before the pow'r of hell
and death is at your side,
know that I am with you, through it all

"Did you know he's been in a wheel-chair now for like six months?" Toby drummed his fingers on the armrest between them.

"Charilie told me this morning." She hummed. "That's why he didnt' want us to come out for Christmas?"

"I guess." He squeezed his palms together.

"You look like him when you do that." She muttered softly, whiping a stray tear from her face. Toby looked at his hands.

"Yeah."

"He's dying." She sniffed. "Jed Bartlett is dying."

"CJ."

"I dont' know if I can-."

"You can." Toby took her hand in his. "He's asking for us. We're going to be there."

"What if I can't?"

"Are you going to run out of the room screaming?"

"No."

"Then you can."

Be not afraid,
I go before you always,

In his mind he saw Leo. Standing over Abbey's shoulder watching with serious look on his face.

Waiting. Waiting for him.

He looked at Abbey and then at his daughters. He wanted to tell them that he loved them, to tell the others that he loved them, but he couldn't stay. Leo was waiting for him. All that came out was a sound that ment nothing.

He watched Leo's face turn towards the door when it opened, smiling almost sadly. He waited to see who it would be. CJ made her way to his side, slipping down to kiss his cheek. He watched Toby wrap his arms around Abbey before turning to the girls. His children would be there. They were on their way and he would wait for them. He looked at Leo who nodded slowly. He'd wait too.

Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.

(Present)

"We should pull out."Sam whispered softly. "Let Will take the front of the ticket."

"Will Bailey cannot win a presidental election." Toby told him in a tone that made Seaborn glad he wasn't holding anything that he could throw at him.

"Neither can I." Sam took a deep breath. "Not with out Josh. I won't even try.

"You are the last person I expected this kind of selfishness from." CJ shook her head at him.

"Selfishness?" Sam squeaked. "Selfish is being at one rally after another in California while my best friend lays fighting for his life."

"Sam. Josh would be the first to tell you that-!"

"Josh can't speak Toby!" He yelled. "Not coherently anyway."

"He'll get better." CJ reminded. "I swear to God if he comes back to a world where Cliff Caelly is President-." She clicked her cheek. "I don't want to be the one to tell him."

"I need Will to do-. Can Will do more?"

"He is. He's in Florida. He'll do Illinois. Josh'll be back on our asses by the time we get to Texas."

Blessed are your poor,
for the Kingdom shall be theirs.
(A year ago)

"Sir?" Sam's voice was soft and remorseful. Jed wanted to tell him that he was the one who should be remorseful. He was the one who needed Sam to absolve him. "We're all here, Sir. You're not alone." He paused a moment swallowing hard. "I won the nomination Mr. President. I'll win the White House. I won't let you down." Bartlett watched the tear slip down Seaborn's face. He looked past him to Leo who bowed his head. "I'm sorry.. Sir.. that I let you down before. I'm sorry I quit before we finished what we started. I was a coward. I'm not anymore. I won't let you down Sir."

Blest are you that weep and mourn,
for one day you shall laugh.
"Daddy." He watched Zoey stroke his fingers. She looked at the monitor, it was only then Jed heard the low alarm tone.

"I'll get your mom." Charlie said softly, his daughter shook her head feircly.

"Daddy. I love you."The words choked out of her in a sob before she stood, taking Charlie's hand and placing it implace of her own. Jed watched her pass a concerned looking Leo as she made her way out of the room.

"Mr. President." He turned his fading eyes back to Charlie."Dad." He wished he could reach for him. He wished he could take his hand. Charlie. His son. The one he never had.

He was different than Sam or Josh or Toby.. maybe because they'd been older, or because they'd had fathers and Charlie never really had. Maybe it was because of how feircely Charlie loved him.

"I'm not ready."The statement surprised him almost as much as how he slowly lowered his head to the man's chest. "I know I'm supposed to tell you it's alright to go. I know I'm supposed to say goodbye. But I'm not ready." Jed felt the boys tears on the hospital gound.It was at that moment Jed Bartlett realized he had not felt anything in quiet a long time. He felt this. He felt for Charlie. "I.. never asked you.. not really.. for Zoey's hand. I never asked you about being a father, or a husband." He raised his head and met the man's eyes. "But more than anything else.. I never told you. You can't go yet." He pleaded, looking up at the heart monitor above him. "I'm not ready."

Jed brought his eyes to Leo, the two men exchanging a long questioning glance before Leo pressed his lips together and uttered the first words Jed had heard him say yet.

"I can stick around a while longer, Mr. President." He raised his head in a nod to the monitors which slowly stopped alarming as Abbey Bartlett hurried into the room only to find things looking up.

And if wicked men insult and hate you, all because of Me,
blessed, blessed are you!
(Present)

Donna kept having the same dream. She was sitting in a chair on one side of a bridge, mirroring Leo on the other. Jed Bartlett, as strong and straight as he used to, stood with Josh in the middle. The two of them talking quietly to each other. Every few minutes Jed would shout something to Leo. Leo never spoke loud enough for Donna to hear and no matter how hard she yelled Josh never seemed to answer her. He'd look her way, smile, wink, and run her hands through his hair before looking back to Bartlett.

It was a frustrating dream, not being able to go with him or bring him back. It wasn't until the former president nodded to his former chief and started to lead her husband slowly back across towards her that she began to understand..

Be not afraid,
I go before you always,

"Donnnnn-h?"

"Josh?" He forced an eye open and looked at her pretty face.

"Ya'lok awfulll." He moaned his lips twitching almost playfully.

"Josh." She whispered the tears coming frantically as she, leaned forward onto his shoulder,pressing the call button.."God Josh please don't ever leave me again."

Lyman turned his head slowly, pressing his lips against her temple.

"Shh..." He whispered, feeling her cry even harder than before. For the breifest of seconds he thought he saw Leo McGarry smile at him before meandering back into the hallway.

Outside the room, Jed Bartlett winked at his old friend as he moved back into the background of the living, to wait a little longer.

Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.