*
The cab ride to the White House three days later is silent, so is the
trip up to the residence and back to the room she stayed in last time
this happened.
Playing happily on the floor with the First Lady, Margaret scoops her
daughter up into her arms and clings to her tightly as salty tears
trickle down her face.
When the First Lady has gone and Leo has put down the few things
Margaret took with her to the hospital he tells her Andrew has been
charged.
"Don't." Margaret rasps, her first words to Leo in days.
"He'll go to court." Leo continues undeterred.
"Don't." Margaret says again, bringing Alyson closer to her again.
"He won't get away with it this time." Leo adds.
"The law..." Margaret pauses to sniffle. "Couldn't protect me last
time and it won't be able to in the future."
"Margaret." Leo begins.
"I can't do this Leo." She says punctuating each word. "I can't live
like this, I can't be always looking over my shoulder and I can't
destroy my daughters life because of a bad decision I made."
"You won't have to. You can't give up, if I had have given up trying
to kick my addiction all those years ago, I'd be dead now."
"I can't do this anymore, I can't pretend to be strong and not
afraid. I want Secret Service protection, I want a new name, I want a
new town, I want a new job, I want..." Margaret says before Leo cuts
her off pressing his lips to hers and kissing her passionately.
"I love you and I won't let anyone bar anyone drive you to that
length." Leo says tenderly, the back of his hand grazing the side of
her face.
"Don't." Margaret repeats.
"What?" Leo asks, not getting the reaction he's hoped for from his
admission.
"You can't just come in here and do that."
"I'm not lying to you." Leo confirms softly.
"Look at me." Margaret cries out.
"I see Margaret." Leo tells her.
"Look at me, look at my daughter with a father who doesn't want to
know about her, look at my life, lived in fear unable to trust, look
at the cuts, lumps and bruises on my body, look at my face... this is
what love is to me and I don't want you to be that person." Margaret
manages before breaking into tears again.
She crumbles into Leo, winding her arms around him for support. He
tucks his head in, opening her face to his and kissing her again and
again.
*
With her arms wrapped around Leo is how Margaret finds herself in the
morning when a gentle tap at the door catches her ears. Crawling out
of the bed and throwing a robe around her, Margaret opens the door to
Abbey Bartlet who seems pleased to see Leo asleep on top of the
sheets and blankets.
"Jed's at work already, care to have breakfast with me?" The First
Lady requests.
Looking down at her dowdy robe and across at the First Lady's
expensive forest green equivalent, Margaret considers
changing. "You're dressed fine, bring the squirt with you." Abbey
Bartlet laughs.
*
"I wanted to give you something, when everyone else wasn't around."
Abbey tells Margaret delivering another spoonful of mashed banana to
Alyson.
Having got her attention, Margaret looks up from her slightly
overcooked English breakfast.
The First Lady reaches into her pocket, pulling out a business card
and hands it over the table, on the back is a name and phone number,
the front contains the name of a counseling service that specializes
in domestic violence.
"They've very good Margaret." Abbey Bartlet says sincerely. "You can
be as forthcoming or as discreet with your personal details as you
like. You can talk to someone individually or in a group with others
who have gone through the same sort of things as you."
Margaret smiles across the table at the First Lady and her
daughter. "Thank you, I'll use this." She promises tucking the card
in the pocket of the robe.
*
When Margaret comes back to her room after breakfast, Leo is just
struggling to sit up in bed.
"Morning." He yawns, the clothes he slept in, wrinkled and
creased. "Morning kiddo." He says holding out his hands for Alyson.
"Hi." Margaret greets him shyly after last night; she turns the card
over and over in her hands wondering how she's going to approach it
with Leo.
"Is that the card from Abbey?" Leo asks tickling Alyson.
"You know about this?" Margaret asks surprised, getting up off the
bed and tucking the card in the pocket of the coat she intends to
wear today.
"She's been going to give it to you for ages...but you were doing so
well so she didn't." Leo finishes hesitantly.
"I was going to call..." Margaret stumbles.
"Take as much time as you need." Leo offers generously.
*
"He's out on bail." Leo informs Margaret the following day.
"I expected as much." She replies flatly, continuing to sort items
for a file.
"The restraining order still stands." Leo compensates.
"I'm going home tonight anyway." Margaret says swiveling in her chair
to face Leo.
"Good for you." He smiles and disappears into his office again.
The familiar beep of her messenger sounds as Margaret finishes
putting together the last of the file. Looking around guiltily for
using work time for personal email, Margaret clicks to open the web
based inbox as the messenger announces another email, and another and
another. A half hour later with her account reached it's capacity,
Margaret surveys with fright at her inbox full of messages...they
could only be from Andrew.
When her White House email notification sounds, Margaret backs away
from the table as she hesitantly opens the message. It's blank, less
it wouldn't get past security, however there are enough to create a
nuisance and be almost untraceable because of the free email server
address.
Keeping a few for good measure she deletes the rest, relieved when
more aren't sent for their place and returns to work. Deep down she
knows tonight when she goes home he'll be sitting outside her
apartment block, waiting and watching.
*
The cab ride to the White House three days later is silent, so is the
trip up to the residence and back to the room she stayed in last time
this happened.
Playing happily on the floor with the First Lady, Margaret scoops her
daughter up into her arms and clings to her tightly as salty tears
trickle down her face.
When the First Lady has gone and Leo has put down the few things
Margaret took with her to the hospital he tells her Andrew has been
charged.
"Don't." Margaret rasps, her first words to Leo in days.
"He'll go to court." Leo continues undeterred.
"Don't." Margaret says again, bringing Alyson closer to her again.
"He won't get away with it this time." Leo adds.
"The law..." Margaret pauses to sniffle. "Couldn't protect me last
time and it won't be able to in the future."
"Margaret." Leo begins.
"I can't do this Leo." She says punctuating each word. "I can't live
like this, I can't be always looking over my shoulder and I can't
destroy my daughters life because of a bad decision I made."
"You won't have to. You can't give up, if I had have given up trying
to kick my addiction all those years ago, I'd be dead now."
"I can't do this anymore, I can't pretend to be strong and not
afraid. I want Secret Service protection, I want a new name, I want a
new town, I want a new job, I want..." Margaret says before Leo cuts
her off pressing his lips to hers and kissing her passionately.
"I love you and I won't let anyone bar anyone drive you to that
length." Leo says tenderly, the back of his hand grazing the side of
her face.
"Don't." Margaret repeats.
"What?" Leo asks, not getting the reaction he's hoped for from his
admission.
"You can't just come in here and do that."
"I'm not lying to you." Leo confirms softly.
"Look at me." Margaret cries out.
"I see Margaret." Leo tells her.
"Look at me, look at my daughter with a father who doesn't want to
know about her, look at my life, lived in fear unable to trust, look
at the cuts, lumps and bruises on my body, look at my face... this is
what love is to me and I don't want you to be that person." Margaret
manages before breaking into tears again.
She crumbles into Leo, winding her arms around him for support. He
tucks his head in, opening her face to his and kissing her again and
again.
*
With her arms wrapped around Leo is how Margaret finds herself in the
morning when a gentle tap at the door catches her ears. Crawling out
of the bed and throwing a robe around her, Margaret opens the door to
Abbey Bartlet who seems pleased to see Leo asleep on top of the
sheets and blankets.
"Jed's at work already, care to have breakfast with me?" The First
Lady requests.
Looking down at her dowdy robe and across at the First Lady's
expensive forest green equivalent, Margaret considers
changing. "You're dressed fine, bring the squirt with you." Abbey
Bartlet laughs.
*
"I wanted to give you something, when everyone else wasn't around."
Abbey tells Margaret delivering another spoonful of mashed banana to
Alyson.
Having got her attention, Margaret looks up from her slightly
overcooked English breakfast.
The First Lady reaches into her pocket, pulling out a business card
and hands it over the table, on the back is a name and phone number,
the front contains the name of a counseling service that specializes
in domestic violence.
"They've very good Margaret." Abbey Bartlet says sincerely. "You can
be as forthcoming or as discreet with your personal details as you
like. You can talk to someone individually or in a group with others
who have gone through the same sort of things as you."
Margaret smiles across the table at the First Lady and her
daughter. "Thank you, I'll use this." She promises tucking the card
in the pocket of the robe.
*
When Margaret comes back to her room after breakfast, Leo is just
struggling to sit up in bed.
"Morning." He yawns, the clothes he slept in, wrinkled and
creased. "Morning kiddo." He says holding out his hands for Alyson.
"Hi." Margaret greets him shyly after last night; she turns the card
over and over in her hands wondering how she's going to approach it
with Leo.
"Is that the card from Abbey?" Leo asks tickling Alyson.
"You know about this?" Margaret asks surprised, getting up off the
bed and tucking the card in the pocket of the coat she intends to
wear today.
"She's been going to give it to you for ages...but you were doing so
well so she didn't." Leo finishes hesitantly.
"I was going to call..." Margaret stumbles.
"Take as much time as you need." Leo offers generously.
*
"He's out on bail." Leo informs Margaret the following day.
"I expected as much." She replies flatly, continuing to sort items
for a file.
"The restraining order still stands." Leo compensates.
"I'm going home tonight anyway." Margaret says swiveling in her chair
to face Leo.
"Good for you." He smiles and disappears into his office again.
The familiar beep of her messenger sounds as Margaret finishes
putting together the last of the file. Looking around guiltily for
using work time for personal email, Margaret clicks to open the web
based inbox as the messenger announces another email, and another and
another. A half hour later with her account reached it's capacity,
Margaret surveys with fright at her inbox full of messages...they
could only be from Andrew.
When her White House email notification sounds, Margaret backs away
from the table as she hesitantly opens the message. It's blank, less
it wouldn't get past security, however there are enough to create a
nuisance and be almost untraceable because of the free email server
address.
Keeping a few for good measure she deletes the rest, relieved when
more aren't sent for their place and returns to work. Deep down she
knows tonight when she goes home he'll be sitting outside her
apartment block, waiting and watching.
*