Author's Note: Two chapters in two days, it's a record I know. I'd like to
dedicate this chapter, and many more, to the remarkable Ms. Sue O'Neil and
Star 102.5 because without my Sunday morning gig as a board op, Chapter
Twelve wouldn't have been finished at such a breakneck speed and I would
not be allowing myself to post chapter ten so soon after chapter nine. This
one is short folks, and I apologize for that, but it sets some stuff up (as
my short chapters usually do) and the ones to come are pretty lengthy. And
who knows, maybe by the end of the night, eleven will be up too, because
I'll be done with thirteen... well a girl can dream. Enjoy!
Chapter Ten: So Much To Say
When Evan awoke, he was surprised to find that the spot next to him in the bed was empty. He knew that Gracie was an early riser but she never once before left the bed without him unless something was wrong...
He sat up with a start but then calmed when he saw her, curled up in a chair by the window. She was staring, at what he did know but whatever it was, she seemed to be completely oblivious to everything around her.
"Gracie," he said quietly, calling out her name. His assumption was confirmed when she failed to answer, continuing to just sit and stare. He got out of the bed, pulling his boxers on, forgetting the t-shirt that had some how made its was way across the room and then called out to her again as he approached the chair. "Gracie!" he began, only this time louder, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
Finally, she turned towards him, shaking out of her daze, she smiled, a dull – uncharacteristic smile, one that never reached all the way to her eyes and for a moment he was paralyzed with the fear that he wasn't quite sure who he was going to get when she finally spoke.
"Hi," she said barely above a whisper. Her voice was soft, and sweet, just like he'd remember the taste of her mouth being just hours ago when they were in bed together. When he had first awakened, the only thoughts that filled his head were of her. How he longed to kiss her again, and hold her for as long as he could before reality shone through the clouds like the early morning sun through the windows, and they were forced to face the day. Now all he could feel was worry and concern. Something wasn't right.
"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked as she took a seat on the edge of her chair and began softly playing with her long dark hair.
"I couldn't sleep," she said looking back out the window. "I didn't want to wake you."
"Grace..."
"You looked to peaceful."
He smiled.
"Thank you."
She nodded.
"What time is it?" she asked, the distance and detachment he had first only noticed by her looks, making their way to her voice.
"Nine," Evan replied with a glance at the clock. She nodded again.
"I should shower," she said with a sigh. Evan nodded.
"I could join you," he suggested with a mischievous grin. When she didn't reply, he wished he hadn't spoken at all. His face fell, and his heart broke a little, as she continued to stare out the window. Finally, she turned to him, and managed another smile.
"I'd like that.
***
Josh sighed as he fell down onto the rich cream striped sofa in the oval office. He's just gotten back to the west wing after briefly running home for a shower, shave, and change of clothes. He was both physically and emotionally exhausted.
Sam sat at his desk, feet in the air, glasses perched on the tip of his nose, reading the morning paper – anything to distract him from having to think about any of the news he had only finally begun to process, from the night before.
"Abbey just called," Josh said suddenly, more exhaling the words than speaking them. "Donna talked to her. Zoey and Charlie got on a flight at six and with just one look at his youngest daughter he seemed to snap out of it. Ellie and Liz are on their way..." he closed his eyes, letting out another ragged breath as he ran his hands through his unruly hair.
"We could cancel the trip," Sam said dropping the paper. Josh shook his head and sat up, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Abbey doesn't want to," he replied simply. "It's Leo's birthday, she doesn't want to ruin that."
"Does he know?"
"He's been there since last night."
"Right..." Sam nodded. "What does he say?"
"He says cancel. She won't allow it though and now that Jed's awake and moving around, neither will he."
Sam sighed.
"Stubborn old coot!" he stammered, standing up. He moved quietly to the couch to join Josh. They both sat for a long moment in silence and frustration.
"Did you tell the women?" Josh asked looking to Sam. Sam shook his head.
"Mallory after you called last night, Gracie..." he took a long deep breath. "She had a panic attack last night Josh. I can't... she can't know. Not until after the party, not unless he tells her himself. I don't know if she can handle it."
"Sam," Josh began, forgetting the formality as they always did when they were alone together, especially when it came to family. "I didn't know she was that bad. I mean there were no signs, not like when she was killing herself at Princeton."
Sam shook his head again.
"Neither did we," he said leaning back onto the couch. "Apparently, neither did she. God Josh, you should have seen her this morning. It's the worst it's ever been. She was completely out of it, the medication... she slept maybe an hour."
"When was the last time? Josh asked, just as frustrated, just as scared, just as concerned. "Was it the time with Huck, I mean did anything happen in Italy?"
"She says she was fine. She stopped taking the medication because she was okay, things were getting better, apparently Evan was helping."
"She told you all this?"
"No," Sam replied, visibly hurt. "Mallory. She told Mal, and Mal told me. Gracie barely even spoke to me this morning. I feel like I don't even know how to talk to her anymore."
"I'm sure that's not true."
Sam sighed and nodded knowing, as Josh was, and had always been smarter than he was, that he was right.
"I can run a country but I can't speak to my daughter without fearing for her life," Sam spat, his own bitterness taking a hold of him.
"Sam," Josh said trying to reason.
"This whole thing with the anniversary of the thing with Zoey, and Gracie coming home the day we started to get those letters. It's just... I know the thing with the letters... everyone gets the letter, they don't matter. But all I want to do is hold her close and it seems like now, one of us is always pushing the other way."
Josh didn't know what to say, there was too much to get into... and just when he finally started to feel like he had a hold on everything.
"I can talk to her," Josh said finally.
"She'd know I sent you."
"No," Josh shook his head. "She knows I'm just as concerned as you are."
"She's a smart girl Josh."
"The smartest."
"She'll see right through it, all of it."
"Which is exactly why it should happen this way. She trusts me Sam. She knows that if I had a concern I'd go straight to you, its what she wants. She's your little girl. Always has been and always will be."
Sam nodded.
"Okay," he said softly. "Let's just hold off, on everything for tonight. Let her have some fun. I know she's dying to see Jed and Evan's going to be with her and I'm not too sure he really knows what's going on either. Which will eventually be a problem in and of itself. I'm worried, I don't know if I can trust this kid. I talked to him a few times last night but... Gracie trusts him, that's all that matters," he replied more to himself. "We won't tell her until after the thing, tomorrow maybe. Unless Jed says he can handle doing it, if Jed says he can handle it, he will," Sam smiled softly. "Let Bartlet be Bartlet."
Josh nodded.
"Let Bartlet be Bartlet," he repeated solemnly.
Chapter Ten: So Much To Say
When Evan awoke, he was surprised to find that the spot next to him in the bed was empty. He knew that Gracie was an early riser but she never once before left the bed without him unless something was wrong...
He sat up with a start but then calmed when he saw her, curled up in a chair by the window. She was staring, at what he did know but whatever it was, she seemed to be completely oblivious to everything around her.
"Gracie," he said quietly, calling out her name. His assumption was confirmed when she failed to answer, continuing to just sit and stare. He got out of the bed, pulling his boxers on, forgetting the t-shirt that had some how made its was way across the room and then called out to her again as he approached the chair. "Gracie!" he began, only this time louder, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
Finally, she turned towards him, shaking out of her daze, she smiled, a dull – uncharacteristic smile, one that never reached all the way to her eyes and for a moment he was paralyzed with the fear that he wasn't quite sure who he was going to get when she finally spoke.
"Hi," she said barely above a whisper. Her voice was soft, and sweet, just like he'd remember the taste of her mouth being just hours ago when they were in bed together. When he had first awakened, the only thoughts that filled his head were of her. How he longed to kiss her again, and hold her for as long as he could before reality shone through the clouds like the early morning sun through the windows, and they were forced to face the day. Now all he could feel was worry and concern. Something wasn't right.
"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked as she took a seat on the edge of her chair and began softly playing with her long dark hair.
"I couldn't sleep," she said looking back out the window. "I didn't want to wake you."
"Grace..."
"You looked to peaceful."
He smiled.
"Thank you."
She nodded.
"What time is it?" she asked, the distance and detachment he had first only noticed by her looks, making their way to her voice.
"Nine," Evan replied with a glance at the clock. She nodded again.
"I should shower," she said with a sigh. Evan nodded.
"I could join you," he suggested with a mischievous grin. When she didn't reply, he wished he hadn't spoken at all. His face fell, and his heart broke a little, as she continued to stare out the window. Finally, she turned to him, and managed another smile.
"I'd like that.
***
Josh sighed as he fell down onto the rich cream striped sofa in the oval office. He's just gotten back to the west wing after briefly running home for a shower, shave, and change of clothes. He was both physically and emotionally exhausted.
Sam sat at his desk, feet in the air, glasses perched on the tip of his nose, reading the morning paper – anything to distract him from having to think about any of the news he had only finally begun to process, from the night before.
"Abbey just called," Josh said suddenly, more exhaling the words than speaking them. "Donna talked to her. Zoey and Charlie got on a flight at six and with just one look at his youngest daughter he seemed to snap out of it. Ellie and Liz are on their way..." he closed his eyes, letting out another ragged breath as he ran his hands through his unruly hair.
"We could cancel the trip," Sam said dropping the paper. Josh shook his head and sat up, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Abbey doesn't want to," he replied simply. "It's Leo's birthday, she doesn't want to ruin that."
"Does he know?"
"He's been there since last night."
"Right..." Sam nodded. "What does he say?"
"He says cancel. She won't allow it though and now that Jed's awake and moving around, neither will he."
Sam sighed.
"Stubborn old coot!" he stammered, standing up. He moved quietly to the couch to join Josh. They both sat for a long moment in silence and frustration.
"Did you tell the women?" Josh asked looking to Sam. Sam shook his head.
"Mallory after you called last night, Gracie..." he took a long deep breath. "She had a panic attack last night Josh. I can't... she can't know. Not until after the party, not unless he tells her himself. I don't know if she can handle it."
"Sam," Josh began, forgetting the formality as they always did when they were alone together, especially when it came to family. "I didn't know she was that bad. I mean there were no signs, not like when she was killing herself at Princeton."
Sam shook his head again.
"Neither did we," he said leaning back onto the couch. "Apparently, neither did she. God Josh, you should have seen her this morning. It's the worst it's ever been. She was completely out of it, the medication... she slept maybe an hour."
"When was the last time? Josh asked, just as frustrated, just as scared, just as concerned. "Was it the time with Huck, I mean did anything happen in Italy?"
"She says she was fine. She stopped taking the medication because she was okay, things were getting better, apparently Evan was helping."
"She told you all this?"
"No," Sam replied, visibly hurt. "Mallory. She told Mal, and Mal told me. Gracie barely even spoke to me this morning. I feel like I don't even know how to talk to her anymore."
"I'm sure that's not true."
Sam sighed and nodded knowing, as Josh was, and had always been smarter than he was, that he was right.
"I can run a country but I can't speak to my daughter without fearing for her life," Sam spat, his own bitterness taking a hold of him.
"Sam," Josh said trying to reason.
"This whole thing with the anniversary of the thing with Zoey, and Gracie coming home the day we started to get those letters. It's just... I know the thing with the letters... everyone gets the letter, they don't matter. But all I want to do is hold her close and it seems like now, one of us is always pushing the other way."
Josh didn't know what to say, there was too much to get into... and just when he finally started to feel like he had a hold on everything.
"I can talk to her," Josh said finally.
"She'd know I sent you."
"No," Josh shook his head. "She knows I'm just as concerned as you are."
"She's a smart girl Josh."
"The smartest."
"She'll see right through it, all of it."
"Which is exactly why it should happen this way. She trusts me Sam. She knows that if I had a concern I'd go straight to you, its what she wants. She's your little girl. Always has been and always will be."
Sam nodded.
"Okay," he said softly. "Let's just hold off, on everything for tonight. Let her have some fun. I know she's dying to see Jed and Evan's going to be with her and I'm not too sure he really knows what's going on either. Which will eventually be a problem in and of itself. I'm worried, I don't know if I can trust this kid. I talked to him a few times last night but... Gracie trusts him, that's all that matters," he replied more to himself. "We won't tell her until after the thing, tomorrow maybe. Unless Jed says he can handle doing it, if Jed says he can handle it, he will," Sam smiled softly. "Let Bartlet be Bartlet."
Josh nodded.
"Let Bartlet be Bartlet," he repeated solemnly.