In Texas there had been gunfire. Tragically there had been three deaths, four who might yet join them before the month and the year with it was done, and five who would live but with scars upon their persons as the world permanently looked a little bleaker for them. Jed wondered bitterly what his Vice would say about it all and did not envy him the position of being there. There would no bauble hanging now.
At the moment the reports were still coming in, two gunmen, one killed in a shoot-out with police, the other wounded in it and on his way to hospital so people could try and save his life in spite of him taking so many. It had happened in a busy department store on a mild Friday evening when the store was thriving with Christmas shoppers. The motive was still murky but witnesses who worked there had apparently already identified the shooters as ex-employees.
Jed was preparing his statement, waiting for the rest of the facts to come in before he stepped out before the watchful, soulless eyes of many cameras and talked once again about senseless deaths. He knew he'd have to make contact with John first, the Vice was in Texas right now and Jed would need to know what John was intent on saying about the tragic affair.
John was currently in his home city of Abilene reminding his people why he'd been their senator and keeping the embers burning for support so that when the time came to run it would be easy to start the fire. Jed knew why John was there, John planned ahead because he had to, he looked to the end of this four year term with an impatient hunger that made Jed irate as he wished his Vice could focus more on present affairs. Jed considered grimly that with today's news John would have no choice but to consider the present.
Cadence wasn't surprised by the abrasive snarl that called to her through the closed door she had just knocked. Given the dark turn the day had taken it was no surprise the Vice President was in a sombre mood.
"It's Cadence McGarry sir," she called, opting for formalities for the sake of the witnessing Secret Service who stood stoically on guard in the hotel corridor.
There was the sound of heavy footsteps before John tugged open the door of his suite to peer out at her moodily.
Cadence was stunned by the odour of vodka she detected from the Vice President and it showed on her face as she looked at him aghast with wide eyes.
"Come in then," John remarked grimly as he stepped back to grant her entry.
Cadence stepped in, closing the door tightly behind her as she surveyed the room, immediately searching for the source of the alcohol so she could gage what she was working with. Her eyes fell upon a bottle of the hotel's priciest brand of vodka missing just under a quarter of its contents, a mostly full jug of water beside it and a crystal tumbler loaded with ice and a hint of liquid. The items were all sitting on a silver serving tray on a chest of drawers beside a television which was on but turned down.
"When the hell did you start drinking again John?" Cadence demanded in shock.
John flashed her an almost accusing blue stare before he reached for the tumbler and plucked it up. He gamely swung back the remainder of vodka into his mouth and set the glass down noisily before he reached for the bottle to pour again.
"Colombia," John confessed quietly as he filled the glass again.
Cadence continued to stare at him in astonishment as she felt the guilt begin to flood up her. "Colombia?" she echoed.
He nodded briskly before waving off the guilt growing on her face with one hand. "It was a mixture of things that led to it but I'm handling it."
Cadence's guilt vanished for anger and she folded her arms in a cross stance. "That isn't true," she snapped, "I know from my father that there is no handling it."
John glanced over his shoulder to give her a look of irritation. "Firstly," he snapped as he pointed at her with one finger, "I am not your father and secondly, I obviously have been handling it because you didn't even know I was drinking until now."
Cadence shook her head as her arms slackened and she hurried over to him as he lifted the glass again. "John stop," she implored.
John flinched as her hands grasped his arm, restraining it as he reached for the glass. He stared down at her angrily but her gaze was unflinching and her grasp firm.
"This isn't going to help," she said. "What's happened has happened, you need to deal with it."
"And how can I do that?" he queried bitterly. "By slamming my own beliefs over guns? You're not seriously here to advise me on P.R over something like this, are you?" he demanded.
Cadence shook her head as she released his arm at last and took a step back, all too conscious as to how close she was to the man. "No. John don't talk about gun policies, that makes it impersonal, just say what we're all thinking, that this is a terrible loss of life. At the moment it doesn't matter how they were murdered, it matters that they were murdered," she insisted.
John nodded gruffly but he didn't think it was as simple as that. He glanced to the television where the news continued to display the top story of gun murders in Texas and frowned as a photograph of the youngest victim- Victoria Hoyt, aged seven, was displayed.
John seized up his glass and took a gulp, hesitating as he felt Cadence's look of scorn upon him. He slammed the glass down in anger and gave her another glower.
"We're here on business so it's Mr Vice President," he berated her.
Cadence's hands were up on her hips as she gave him another scolding look. "You act like one I'll call you one," she informed him sharply. Her grey-blue gaze softened as sympathy filled it. "I'm here to help," she reminded him.
Cadence glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Shower, change and coffee and then you need to face your public sir. What did you run for if not to better their welfare? The people are scared and angry, reassure them that their government cares and will do more to stop this kind of thing."
John arched his dark eyebrows slightly, anger giving way to his own surprise as he realised she was right, it was his job not to try and fumble over why this had happened but to comfort the people in their grief.
He gave her a small smile. "You know Cady, even though you're telling me off, I'm glad you came here. I needed it."
Cadence flinched when he reached out a hand to her right shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
John smile vanished for a frown at her reaction as he watched her hastily banish any budding lust from her gaze. His hand rose from her shoulder to stroke her hair but she took a conscious step back to avoid the gesture.
"It's alright to cheat on my wife but you can't stray from your Republican, can you?" John snarled out.
Cadence's eyes filled with surprise at the accusation before she shielded her shock with anger and frowned back at him. "It was never alright to cheat on your wife," she answered in a quiet calm.
"I see and yet you were happy for me to do it over and over with you." John continued to frown as he felt his heated anger return. "No point in suggesting you join me in the shower then," he remarked sardonically, "because you can't spoil a relationship that's only a few days old but a marriage built over the years, that's fine to sully."
"You're being cruel," Cadence accused. "I never said what we did was right but it was a we John, you are the one who chose to cheat and yes, I encouraged it, I admit it but damn it I'm not doing it." She wanted to look away from him, he hadn't suddenly become unattractive just because she was dating someone. The tension in the room was so thick Cadence almost felt like she couldn't breathe, she had tingled at his brief touch and felt a thrilled rush of danger with it knowing that if she had let him keep going her resolve might shake.
"Good for me but not for you? So you're suddenly a saint now that you've the partner to stray from?" John sneered. He raised a hand to chest and added angrily, "after all I've done for you to prove you matter to me, to prove to you that it's more than just sex. I've humiliated myself for you and bent over backwards to save your career multiple times-"
John faltered when Cadence failed to argue back. She nodded agreeably even as she looked away from him and continued to frown.
"I know sir but I can only have you on your terms," she said softly, "and that isn't enough for me." Cadence pushed back her golden-brown hair and glanced up at him with a sombre stare. "You're mad and spoiling for a fight because you want to get the anger out somehow and you've been drinking but I don't want to fight with you, and it's not going to put you in a mood to address the press and the people so don't."
Cadence's stare became imploring as her frown faded. "Please Mr Vice President, go get a shower and I'll get the coffee ordered. I promise it's going to help."
John frowned again as he took a step back from her this time. He turned and headed towards the bathroom despite his annoyance. He halted at the bathroom door and without looking back growled out, "you only started dating with him when you fell out with Leo and the President over the agent's death. He's a means of getting back at them and we all know it."
"That's not true," Cadence retorted hotly. Her answer was quick as her anger returned and she glowered at John's back.
John opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. "Cruel to use someone like that Cadence, very cruel," he scorned her before he closed the door behind him.
Cadence clenched her fists as she only just resisted the urge to yell out an obscenity at the door.
John took his time in the bathroom, lingering in the shower under water that was almost ice cold as he tried to shock himself into sobriety. He knew he shouldn't be drinking and felt guilty as he considered that the people deserved better. Once he finished drying off and stepped out of the room wearing a towel for modesty he wasn't surprised to see that Cadence was gone.
A sombre black suit with a crisp white shirt and a plain, black tie were waiting for him on the bed whilst a fresh pot of hot coffee sat on a tray with a waiting cup in place of the now absent vodka bottle and glass.
John stepped up to the coffee first and saw a scribbled note resting beside the empty cup. It read 'No PR, no publicity, just people. Be about the people John.'
John knew the advice was right as he began to pour himself a cup of coffee, readying himself for what was going to be a long, long day.
It had been a back and forth kind of day. That sort of day when you seemed to start a thousand and one tasks but finish none as another urgency and another priority displaced the first. It was draining, the ferrying back and forth from room to room, reacting as fast as one could to disasters knowing that every second counted. Now it was the early evening and everyone was in a familiar state of alert exhaustion, that murky period of one's day when your body knew it was tired but your mind stayed hyper, too afraid of another problem to consider rest.
C.J Cregg was poised for the next story, sombre at the headlines as she kept seeing the image of the now deceased Victoria Hoyt over and over. It was jarring having that terrible thought in her mind as she bypassed carol singers in the White House lobby on her way out for coffee.
Outside the weather was stormy but in the White House the storm seemed worse and the press secretary needed a respite from it. Life went on. She knew that, it was the harsh reality that many people were killed in mindless acts of violence every day but the world kept turning anyway. There had been deaths in Qumar too, twenty peaceful protesting women slaughtered by soldiers but it wasn't headline news, hell she hadn't even gotten to talk about it yet or been asked about it. No one cared about foreign news today and she couldn't help but think that was a little unfair.
As she tugged the collar of her long coat close and prepared to slip out into a grey, dreary day, the cheerful voice of Danny Concannon stopped her.
"C.J!"
She turned as he caught up to her, moving a fast walk through the lobby, as animated as ever as he gave a wave of one hand even before she turned to look at him.
Ordinarily C.J would have smiled but today she didn't have the energy. "Hey Danny," she greeted softly. "I've no scoops today," she added, hoping that he would get the hint that she didn't want to discuss news right now.
"That's okay," he said with a flicker of a faint smile. "I just thought I'd offer to buy you a coffee." He gestured to the entrance with one hand. "Hopefully from somewhere nearby because I don't have my coat," he added.
This got a smile, it was brief but for just a second C.J felt a small spark of happiness and was reminded that whilst yes the world could be a miserable, unfair, violent place at times that did not mean all joy and hope was gone from it.
"Well that's your fault," C.J teased, "not mine. I was thinking of going across the street."
"You don't exactly have good clothes for that weather either," Danny pointed out, "your designer coat is lacking a hood."
Although he had a valid point, C.J rejected it anyway and shrugged. "It's better than no coat at all."
"The Vice President gave a good talk about the shootings," Danny remarked calmly. At C.J's wincing look he held up both his palms to her. "I'm not fishing for an official opinion on his talk, I'm being sincere."
C.J sighed even as she nodded. "He did," she admitted.
She glanced over at the carollers almost accusingly wondering why no one had asked them to stop in light of recent events but then she remembered they were paid for the performance in the form of a generous donation for victims of domestic violence. It wasn't gun violence but a good cause was a good cause. C.J figured people probably appreciated the distraction of the singers even if she found it inappropriate. Sure in a couple of days people would reach for the tinsel and lights in desperation, eager to distract themselves from depression and violence with the magic and merriment of Christmas and that was alright, people deserved a moment of peace and joy but right now C.J didn't want that kind of distraction, she wanted to stay sombre and sad for Victoria and all the other victims in the Texas' shooting, at least until the day was done.
"Let's go," she said.
Danny nodded and the pair headed out to brace the whipping winter wind and the spray of icy rain it brought with it. They hurried through puddles with their heads bowed to the storm, walking until C.J figured she was done getting her breath torn away from her with each rush of the wind, having her hair blown in all directions and her bare legs splashed by cold water with each step she took.
They ducked into the first café C.J spied through the gloom of the darkening evening. It was just after six and the café was fading to a lull as the customers calling after work started to fade away and head for home.
C.J was glad to find there was no television in the small building, just some speakers turned down low and crooning out some Christmas music softly enough not to be annoying. She took a seat away from the door to avoid any draught, occupying the soft, leather seat of a booth in a corner whilst thinking cynically that she probably wouldn't get more than a minute to enjoy it before work summoned her back.
The tall redhead didn't even realise Danny had gone to order the drinks until she pushed back her soaked bob and saw that he wasn't sitting opposite her. She glanced around and saw him at the counter smiling to the young waitress as he gave his order. It was still odd to see happiness thinking of the tragedy that had come today, part of C.J was angry by it, wanting Danny to share her expression of stoic grief for the day but another part of her was glad that he could smile, that it was still possible for people to be happy.
It was a conflict in the press secretary. She knew from her job just how tough and ruthless the world was, every day there were new horrors worldwide and no one was spared it not even children. To always be angry and upset for every act of violence and death would mean to never be happy again and it would be exhausting to maintain those kind of emotions and yet to not react to tragedies meant being compliant and unfeeling and C.J couldn't do that either.
Leo had barely blinked at the news today, sure he had been sad but the moment had been brief before he had moved on to the murmur of Iraq testing explosives near one of its borders and thus creating the possibility of war, intentionally or not no one knew yet. C.J had been annoyed at how brief his flare of emotion had been and had grumbled to Josh that if Leo had known one of the Texas victims it would be different.
Josh had sighed, given C.J a sympathetic smile and said yes it would be just as it was for anyone in the world hearing about the news, when it was personal it was always different but he had reminded C.J that you couldn't ask the entire world to stop just for you and that if Leo missed the opportunity to stop a war because he had to pour all his energy into grieving for a young girl in Texas then there would be a lot more deaths to answer for.
C.J understood the argument but she didn't have to like it. She had wanted to demand a reaction for Qumar's women too but today was not the day for that. She had queried it in a moment of passing with the President, asking if he had a statement about it and the look she had gotten was withering coupled with a snarl of, 'not today I don't' and C.J knew that the story was not up for discussion yet.
Danny sat down opposite C.J and gave her a gentle smile. His beard was curlier than usual thanks to the rain and his hair was in need of a good brush to soften the wind damage.
"C.J I know it's been a tough news day," he sympathised, "but it does happen."
C.J nodded as she clasped her palms together on the table. "I know Danny but saying it does happen doesn't make it okay for Victoria Hoyt's parents."
Danny nodded too. "I don't normally like Hoynes' speeches but when he said 'we are the makers of our own mistakes over and over to the point that we think no one learns but then we see the smallest of differences and we realise then that change is possible it's just slow', he was right. He got Senator Whyte to push through better vetting in the state over who they sold guns too. In Houston, because of this, a man was denied sales in three gun shops today, two reported his suspicious behaviour and the police went to check him out. He was planning on going to ex-wife's house to shoot her, her boyfriend and her parents."
C.J's eyes went wide at this revelation. "I...I didn't know that," she admitted quietly.
Danny's smile showed a hint of bitterness to this. "Well that's because the good stories don't get the same coverage especially not ones that were almost disasters, they don't get the same interest, morbid but true."
The waitress arrived and set down their drinks and C.J smiled against as she was presented with a blueberry muffin as well.
"I figured something sweet would help, it always helps," Danny said cheerfully as he wrapped his chilled hands about his cup eagerly.
C.J's blue stare darted up to give him a gaze both serious and full of gratitude. She stretched out a hand to clasp at one of his. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
Danny's smile became tinged with the cocky hopefulness C.J normally got from him and she found herself giving a small smile.
"I needed this," she admitted.
"What, the muffin?" Danny quipped teasingly.
C.J let out a laugh, surprising herself with it. She pulled back her hand and joked, "yes Danny, the muffin."
"She promised me theirs are the best," Danny said happily.
C.J continued to smile. "I'm sure they are."
The redhead took a grateful sip of her coffee and didn't mind it so much when 'I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas' began to play corny and cheerful as it was.
John had changed plans for the Texas trip. He had given his public talk on the tragedy and knew any jovial activities that followed would just appear inappropriate. He was sending his staff back early save for his Secret Service agents of course. He planned to stop in with his elderly parents but without the press or a show of family gatherings for the press and then he would head back to D.C.
They were back in the hotel making the arrangements to check out and head for the airport, since the small VP party was going without the VP that meant travelling commercial not on Air Force Two, which would wait for John's eventual departure.
Cadence was in her room, packed and making a phone call just before she checked out.
"Hello?"
She wrapped the cord of the phone about her finger and cradled the receiver closer, surprised by how happy she was to hear Tom's voice. "Hey Tom," she greeted softly.
"Cady, how are you?" he queried.
"I'm okay, we're leaving early," she explained.
"Three days early," Tom mused, "well I'm tied up in the office so I can't do our museum trip any earlier."
Cadence heard clicking and guessed it was from a mouse. She had dialled Tom at his home as she knew he would be finished in his office but she realised now that he was probably still in his office he had just moved to the office in his house.
"I know," Cadence said, "I wasn't expecting you to, I just wanted you to know I was leaving a bit earlier. I...I don't know why, I suppose it makes no difference to us." Her voice grew quieter as she stared down at the table the phone rested on as she wondered why she had called Tom.
She thought about the Vice President's hand squeezing her shoulder earlier and how he had accused her of dating Tom to spite he father and wondered if she was calling out of guilt or to reassure herself that her feelings for Tom were sincere.
"Cady are you alright?" Tom pried. "You sound a little off. I mean I saw the news, I know it's tragic."
"It is," Cadence agreed. "I just, I'm going to make a stop in Chicago I think since I've got the time. Um..." She wondered why she was telling Tom this, they hadn't been dating long, he didn't need to know everything she got up to. "I just, I wanted you to know." She shrugged even though he couldn't see it. "I don't know why Tom, sorry," she pressed her free hand to her brow and cursed herself internally, "I think I'm just worried if I don't tell you these things and the press runs some story about me being in Chicago then you'll wonder why I didn't tell you I was going there or something."
"Cady, I don't believe everything the press says. You've got something on your mind, what is it? Is it something to do with you going to Chicago?" Tom pried calmly as he typed on his keyboard at the same time.
"I guess. I...you probably read it in the papers but I dated a boy called Robbie Donovan when I was in high school, he lived in New Hampshire but he was murdered in Chicago. He was there to see me to surprise me for prom but he got killed, stabbed for his money, it was so pointless. God Tom people die for nothing as if there aren't enough things out there to kill us we have to kill each other and I've never understood why!"
Cadence sucked in a breath as she swallowed down the lump that had developed in her throat. She couldn't seem to shake Robbie lately, every time she thought she was almost over all the memories that Colombia had welled up suddenly something happened to bring them back. Sometimes it was trivial, like a heavy rainstorm having her think of the rainy night Robbie had died in or the rain that poured when the Colombian villagers had been brutally shot or Benjamin Sparks' suicide or it was something like this, another senseless, violent tragedy.
It seemed that for over a month now Cadence had been teetering on the edge, just waiting to be caught up in memories of her losses again. She knew she had to do something about it and she was hoping visiting Chicago might be the key. Maybe if she could look at that street where Robbie had died and see that it was just a street, that Robbie was not haunting it and that life had kept going, maybe it would help. She didn't know but she thought confronting it might be a start. She had never gone to the site where Robbie had bled out, too afraid of what she would imagine, too sad to look at a kerb and see a bloodstain and know it was his, and too guilty to think that if it wasn't for her he wouldn't have been there.
"Things like this don't always make sense," Tom retorted, kind as he tried to console her, "it is just the way of the world Cady. The best we can do is live for those who can't and enjoy life because it is what they would want."
Cadence nodded even as she felt a numbness start to set in. "Yeah, I guess. Well, I just...I just wanted you to know I was going to Chicago, I mean I wanted you to hear it from me before the press ran some dumb story about it or something. They probably won't, I mean I just didn't expect them to run any story about Robbie so I have to expect the possibility of it."
"Are you flying directly there?" Tom pried.
Cadence nodded and felt the lump back in her throat. It would be a brief flight, not even three hours but she was dreading it anyway. It didn't matter how long a flight was, the moment Cadence stepped onto a plane she felt a rush of terror. She had her prescription of calming drugs, she had gotten them for the flight from D.C to here but she wasn't sure about taking them when she was going to be on this flight alone without any support from helpful co-workers. She didn't like the idea of being vulnerable to medication whilst on a plane full of strangers.
"Yes," she answered at last, "it's a late flight, goes at five past ten, Texas time that is, I'll check into a nearby hotel."
"Which airport are you flying to?"
"O'Hare."
"Alright."
Cadence could hear the sound of keys being tapped on a keyboard and a mouse clicking as Tom made a few 'hmm' sounds and she reminded herself that he was very busy with work. "Shit Tom I'm sorry, it was selfish of me calling to babble about all this. You're busy with work, look I'll go, I'll see you in three days for the museum just like we planned."
Tom gave a small chuckle. "Nope, you'll see me at the airport. Cady, you called for a reason, I know that, you need support with this. Wait for me in the airport, hmm here we go, got a flight at eleven, yeah I can do that. You keep an eye out for the D.C flights."
"Tom no! Please, I didn't meant for you to drop everything," Cadence protested hastily as she filled with shock and guilt.
"I know Cady but it's important for you to go to Chicago and I don't think you should do it alone."
"Well I don't have to go now then," she continued to argue, "not if it means pulling you away from work. Tom, you just said you were busy," she reminded him.
"I am busy," he retorted chirpily, "catching a flight to Chicago. The flight's booked Cady, let's not waste time arguing about it. You're my girlfriend, you come first."
Cadence was stunned to hear that. She realised for all the proclamations of feelings that John had made to her he had never told her she was a priority in his life, important sure but she had never been first, for him the career was and for a long time she had been okay with that but not anymore.
"Thanks Tom," she retorted softly. "I guess I owe you a coffee at the airport," she added jokingly.
"Hmm that's more of a punishment than a reward."
Cadence smiled. "Well I'll owe you something," she vowed.
"I'm picking the hotel."
"Well that's fine, you said you weren't a snob," she reminded him teasingly.
"I am when it's the early hours of the morning and I want a decent bed," he retorted.
"We can debate it in the airport."
"No debate, I'm picking, see you in Chicago Cady."
"See you there Tom and thank you."
Cadence hung up the phone and hurried for her luggage. As she headed from her room she was aware that a load she hadn't even noticed had been lifted from her. Much as she wanted to confront some of her demons in Chicago she had been dreading it but now it didn't seem so daunting.
