PREVIOUSLY ON THE WEST WING…

JOSH

We're being inundated with calls, who you're going to name as your vice president, cabinet, sub-cabinet positions.

SANTOS

That's what I was speaking to Barry about.

JOSH

Barry Goodwin?

CUT TO

DONNA

You're asking me?

HELEN

Well apparently, not very clearly.

DONNA

To be your Chief of Staff?

CUT TO

JOSH

Come on board as communications director.

LOU

Thank you but no.

JOSH
Finish what you started.

CUT TO

BARTLET

I'm afraid I made a bit of a mess this morning and it may eat into your news cycle.

SANTOS

Oh.

BARTLET

The pardons.

SANTOS

Granny Pot, I heard.

BARTLET

And a few others.

CUT TO

SAM

Santos may be the future this country wants. For all the partisan noise made in the margins, we're a nation of centrists. And he may just be the right man at the right time with the right message at the right time, and if he is, I want to be a part of it.

1. INT JOSH'S APARTMENT - MORNING

Josh Lyman is reading a fairly thick file in bed as Donna Moss sleeps next to him. First, his pager buzzes. Then his cell phone rings. Next, the home phone. And there's a knocking at the door.

DONNA

What in the world?

AGENT (OUTSIDE THE DOOR)

Mr. Lyman?

Josh drops the pager, cell phone, and home phone on the ground and goes to rush to the door- stubbing his toe on the dresser.

JOSH

Go back to sleep. I'll- uh… take care of this. (under his breath) Whoever, whatever this is.

Josh limps, nursing his hurting toe, through the apartment. It's cluttered but not messy. Thanks to a recent often-there guest on the premises.

Josh looks through the keyhole. He is still in his boxer shorts and undershirt. At the door, there are six men in black suits and earpieces.

JOSH

Oh, dear god, no. (calls back) Donna! You might want to put some clothes on.

Josh opens the door. The men do not react to his attire.

JOSH

Agent Rourke, right? You coordinated with the campaign. Sorry, I don't recognize the rest of you.

AGENT ROURKE

You'll be getting to know them, sir. May we come in?

JOSH

Of course, of course. Come in.

AGENT ROURKE

These five agents will be your protective detail. Inside the West Wing, East Wing or the Residence, you only need one agent. Outside of The White House, there will be two agents with you, one in the car with the engine running. They will work in rotation-

Donna comes out of the bedroom wearing a pair of sweats she left at the apartment and one of Josh's Yale t-shirts.

AGENT ROURKE

Sir, you didn't mention anyone was here. You really have to mention when someone is here.

DONNA

Oh, I'm so sorry.

AGENT ROURKE

Not your fault, ma'am.

Josh's eyebrows shot up. It was his fault? The man didn't give him much time! Besides, what were they going to do shoot Donna? He had to stop that thought in its tracks.

JOSH

Of course. This is Donna Moss. Donna, this is my new Secret Service detail.

AGENT ROURKE

Will Miss Moss be over often? It's better for your detail to know what to expect as far as visitors are concerned.

JOSH

Well, uh...

Josh looks to Donna for the answer.

DONNA

I'll be staying the night relatively often.

AGENT ROURKE

I really need to hear him say it.

JOSH

Yeah, we're, um, together.

AGENT ROURKE

No need to worry about being secretive. Everything you tell us or we hear will under no circumstance be leaked to the press. It'd be counterproductive to your safety to worry about that.

JOSH

Got it-

There's another knock at the door. Josh goes to get it but one of the other agents stops him.

AGENT ROURKE

Since no one is stationed outside the door at the moment, Agent Knope will open the door.

The rather large, intimidating black man who looked a little like Wesley Snipes who had stopped Josh went to answer the door. Josh sees Knope nod and he steps aside to allow several men and women into the apartment in military uniform.

MASTER SERGEANT

Morning, Mr. Lyman. We're with the Defense Department. I'll be showing you where to go in case of an emergency and briefing you on potential scenarios while we secure the premises, including phone lines and internet hookups. Now in the event of an emergency-

The Master Sergeant is pulling out a schematic that looks like a route from his apartment to a church parking lot down the road.

Another knock at the door interrupts the Master Sergeant.

Knope opens the door. It's a small balding man with thick horn-rimmed glasses and a hideous bow tie and sweater vest- a stark contrast from the military uniforms and sober looks of the Secret Service agents.

JOSH

What is this? Waffle House after a college frat party? Dupont circle? Christmas with the-

DONNA

Calm down.

MR. DOUGHERTY

Hello, Mr. Lyman. I'm your NSC briefer with your morning brief. Would you prefer me to wait and you can receive your briefing int he car or would you like it along with breakfast? People's preferences change. I once briefed someone while he showered. I have updates on Kazakhstan, information on a developing situation in Cameroon, and an update on Uzbekistan.

Josh gives Donna a look.

JOSH

Let's do the car.

MR. DOUGHERTY

I'll wait outside. There seems to be a lot of people in there.

Knope closes the door on Mr. Dougherty.

AGENT ROURKE & MASTER SERGEANT

As I was saying, sir-

The two look at one another as Josh gives Donna another look.

DONNA

First day. (shrugs)

2. INT SAM'S APARTMENT - MORNING

Ainsley Hayes sits up abruptly and then immediately regrets it, grabbing her head.

She looks around, unfamiliar with her surroundings.

AINSLEY

(murmurs) Who's pants am I wearing?

Cut to shot of Sam Seaborn leaning against the door frame with coffee.

SAM

Morning.

Ainsley proceeds to let out a shriek of shock. She stops when she realizes it's Sam. And he's brought the liquid sunshine of the gods.

Sam is still recovering from the scream.

Ainsley scrambles out of bed and takes the coffee. She's wearing a pair of Sam's pajamas. They're comically large on her small frame.

AINSLEY

So what am I doing here?

SAM

We didn't sleep together.

AINSLEY

Well, that didn't cross my mind until now…

SAM

I just meant, you know, you might have thought that because you woke up in my bed in my clothes that maybe we perhaps may have partook in-

AINSLEY

Sam, it's cute when I ramble like that. You, not so much.

SAM

Right.

AINSLEY

So you were explaining why I'm here?

At this, Sam grins.

SAM

You tried to drink me under the table in Texas Hold Em at the Home State Ball and you lost horribly. You drank more to mourn your loss. I was a regular knight in shining armor. You, in fact, told me so.

AINSLEY

Ah. So that's why my head feels like there's an Olympic bowling match in my head.

SAM

Is bowling in the Olympics? Are they called matches?

AINSLEY

How would I know?

SAM

You know things. You're a smart woman.

Ainsley smiles at that.

AINSLEY

So I should probably get going home but I'll take an Advil and water you can spare before I go.

Sam looks shy about this.

SAM

I made breakfast. And I have a few minutes before I have to leave.

AINSLEY

That's sweet, Sam. Really. But it's an important first day.

SAM

Well, thanks but… I don't have senior staff til 8 and there's not much to do before that…

AINSLEY
I have to go home first and change… Can't look shabby for The White House.

Sam sputters his coffee.

SAM

The what now?

AINSLEY

The… White House… Sam, where are you under the impression that I work where it's the first day?

SAM
You're… You're the new White House Counsel.

AINSLEY

Yes, I rather am.

SAM

(whispers to himself) How did I not see that? (out loud again) Well, that's… Hey! That's great, congrats. I'll um see you around the mess.

AINSLEY

Oh. Yes. Sure… I'm going to get changed back into my dress now to go home.

SAM

Ah, yes. Have a nice time.

Sam exits the room.

SAM

(to himself) Have a nice time? What is happening to me?

3. INT THE WHITE HOUSE RESIDENCE - MORNING

Helen and Matt Santos are making the bed. The room is decorated in a cooler color palette of blues and silvers rather than the rich reds and browns that the Bartlet bedroom was decorated in. Helen's hair is still wet from the shower and Matt is in his pajamas still.

HELEN

I still can't believe they brought breakfast in on that tray.

PRESIDENT SANTOS

Get used to it, firecracker.

Helen throws one of the many decorative pillows at him.

HELEN

I thought we agreed to stop using that nickname like, five years ago.

PRESIDENT SANTOS

I never technically agreed to that.

HELEN

You've been president for ten minutes. Already talking like a politician.

They're finished making the bed. They meet at the foot of the bed. They share a brief kiss before it's interrupted by knocking.

PRESIDENT SANTOS

Whoever that is is fired.

HELEN

You're feeling feisty today.

Matt walks backward to get the door, talking to Helen.

PRESIDENT SANTOS

I'm POTUS, baby. It's a big first day.

Matt opens the door.

ANNABETH

Good morning, sir. I'm here to get your wife dressed.

HELEN

Excuse me?

ANNABETH

It's your first day as FLOTUS. It's a big day. There will be photos for posterity.

PRESIDENT SANTOS

(with a grin at Helen) Just like I said, big first day.

WEST WING THEME SONG SWELLS

AN Well… that was my second shot at a fantasy season eight! I think it's a lot better and I've done a lot of planning (again) and I'm very excited to get started. Hope you didn't hate the format I'm nervous about that. Also for any screenwriting people out there, yes, I know there are numerous things in this you would never put in a normal script. I know how to write tv. This is fan fiction. I wanted the reader to really be able to imagine this as a full-fledged West Wing Episode. Anyways I'm excited to continue this- this is just the beginning, no clue when the next installment will be out but it will be much longer than three scenes as this was just the tag (the first few minutes pre title sequence) Please leave a review/comment I thrive on them!