John felt exhausted but it wasn't a normal fatigue, it was the world weary tiredness that suggested you were at your limit with the world and had to either give up or make changes. Everything since Rosslyn had been stressful, simple meetings turned into stretched out complications, debates became barked out arguments and the President, despite claiming to have been pleased with John's coverage during his critical state, was now back to his vengeance over a perceived disloyalty in John and a fear over his ambitions, and he trotted John out as his whipping boy every time the Republicans hurled dirt at the Democrats.

Even Texas hadn't done much for the Vice President. His speech had been well received initially but some of his supporters viewed it as a betrayal of his views on gun rights, a belief the Republicans seemed determined to focus on. The Republicans warned that the fickle Vice's talk of change was a forewarning of a change in his view towards gun ownership. Then his calling short of his publicity appearances in Texas out of respect for the victims of the shootings had been sneered about as cowardice and weakness by Senator Whyte who had made a point of visiting the state to offer his own respects and reassurances.

John had felt alienated and weak in his own state, reflecting bitterly that it should have been his place to feel strongest. He knew come the new year he would have to double down in his efforts to win it back or there would be nothing to win when Jed's time was up and his began. The problem was that Jed couldn't seem to understand that, he felt John wasn't focused enough on the party right now, little caring for the fact that he and his West Wing followers ensured the Vice Presidential post was largely ornamental. His one purpose for Jed was to rule only if Jed's health prevented him from doing the same and he had done that so why couldn't the President cut him some slack?

He had resisted turning to the drink for a while, finding the memory of Cadence's disgust and horror at the sight of him drunk in the hotel room as motivation to stay away from the bottle. Returning to D.C and learning of Cadence's whereabouts had him contemplating it again. He couldn't understand why she hadn't confided her desires to go to Chicago to him, did she truly not think he would have accompanied her there if asked? It made him furious to find out who had gone with her.

The news had come from Jeremy when he had learned about some daft rag running a small column about a Christmas romance between political enemies and touted it as a holiday miracle. It had made John want to vomit and yet he couldn't resist demanding Jeremy obtain him a copy of the article.

Now John was seated back in the comforts of the Eisenhower Executive Building reading the column while he waited for Cadence to arrive. It barely covered a page and John worked out quickly that some lucky, nosy gossip columnist had spied Cadence and Tom returning to D.C airport, worked out they had come on the same flight from Chicago and was merely speculating the rest. The mentioning of their hand holding, locking eyes and sharing 'sweet kisses' had John frowning multiple times.

John sat back in his chair and pressed his hands up to his temples. He conjured Congressman Landis to his mind as he tried to work out what the appeal in the man was. Unable to figure it out, he slid his hands back to his desk just as the door was knocked.

"Come in," John called out.

Cadence stepped in calmly with a polite smile of greeting. "Morning sir," she said cheerfully.

John caught the whiff of her perfume first, vanilla, a sweet scent he found a little sickly and one he noticed she had been wearing more lately. He wondered why she suddenly favoured it over the jasmine and night orchid brand he was so fond of.

It was the first they had lain eyes on each other since separating in Texas. John had returned five days ago but had been dealing with Cal, Sandra and Gavin. He was aware of Cadence's subtle promoting of his speech in Texas and how she had ensured it received highlights in all the right places without being obvious about calling attention to it. She had also promoted John's family values, pointing out his desire to spend time with his parents in Texas and his plans to see his children on Christmas Day. John had wondered darkly if by doing that she was trying to remind him of his family ties.

John's sharp cerulean stare took her in quickly, searching for some evidence of Chicago in her appearance. He knew, despite the corny column's implication that Cadence had not gone to the city for fun.

She was dressed professionally in a simple grey skirt with a matching jacket, white shirt and a pair of black pantyhose and high heeled black shoes. John's eyes lingered on her legs, shifting down slightly to her shoes as he remembered the day he had made her go running in a similar pair and despite looking idiotic she had given it her all. He thought about the smooth legs concealed beneath the pantyhose before forcing himself to dismiss the idea as his cerulean gaze shifted up to her face. Her expression was neutral, giving little away whilst her hands were by her sides although her fingers twitched slightly betraying an urge to fidget.

"How was Chicago?" John quipped calmly as he raised his dark eyebrows slightly.

Cadence's mouth pursed into a line as her posture stiffened. "I...It was fine sir," she retorted quietly as she wrestled to maintain calm in her voice.

John nodded as his gaze dropped to the article displayed before him. "Hmm, was it the romantic getaway you hoped for?" he queried sarcastically as he quoted part of the column.

"What?" Cadence's voice shifted from embarrassed surprise to confusion.

Chicago had been a week ago and Cadence already dealt with her father's worried queries about it along with her mother's scorn, which maybe was meant to have some concern in it too but Cadence had missed that. All Cadence would say about the trip was that she was now determined that the spot where Robbie had died got some CCTV and street lighting in it. With the President's permission, she had reached out to the representatives of Chicago to address her query, suggesting a concern that perhaps the city as a whole could do with an increase in security for its citizens.

The young woman stepped up to John's desk and her eyes darted down to the column but she couldn't make out the small, upside down font in his shadow.

John turned his head up to her with an icy gaze. "If you want to sneak off for a romantic rendezvous that's fine," he said coldly, "but damn it Cady, despite what you think I do still care about you, you could have told me you were going to Chicago, and why, of all places, would you pick there to meet him?"

"That's not how it was," Cadence hissed out but the shift of her gaze away from John's face and to the floor suggested she wasn't being entirely truthful. She pushed back a strand of fair hair and made herself meet John's gaze again. "After everything in Texas I was thinking about Robbie and I just wanted some sort of closure. I thought I could go to Chicago and finally visit where he died and maybe finally stop obsessing with it."

It was John's turn to look surprised, his mouth dipped down into a frown as he stood up and hurt flashed through his blue gaze. "Cady, why didn't you tell me? I would've gone with you or sent someone. You're afraid to fly, what were you like on the plane? Why would you bring that kind of trouble on yourself?"

Cadence frowned back at him, determined to be angry but her emotions wavered as she wondered at his hurt. "No sir, you wouldn't have gone with me," she retorted seriously. "How would that have looked?"

"That doesn't matter," he scorned as he held out his hands in a helpless gesture, "didn't I bring you to the Naval Observatory drunk and let you sleep it off? Don't you understand I'll take the risks for you? Ever since Colombia you've been pushing me back," he accused her as he pointed at her with one finger. "Then this Republican comes along with some weak policy about the environment he needs help with and you're suddenly girlfriend of the year," he sneered.

Cadence frowned at him and folded her arms. "That's not fair John, you have been hot and cold since Rosslyn and..." she trailed off. "Colombia was...it was difficult."

"Still hiding from it," he scorned her. "You can't Cady, you can't outrun it, you can't forget it, all these traumas eat you up. Does Landis know? Have you shared any of that with him? I presume you told him about Robbie."

Cadence nodded as she reached up a hand to fumble with her hair again, pushing it back even though none of it was in her face. "Why are you asking this John? You're married okay and you're staying married because divorced and running off with your young, scandal sullied employee doesn't get you the White House. Please, let me be happy." Her gaze began pleading as she looked to him, her mouth turning down into a dejected frown.

"Does he make you happy?" John demanded. "Don't I anymore?" He pressed a hand to his chest as fresh hurt and anger filled his fierce cerulean stare. "Didn't I save that raccoon for you? Look after you while you were sick? Get you through Colombia? What does Landis have that I don't?"

"Me John," she answered quietly, "he has me."

She slackened her arms and glanced about the room anxiously, suddenly wanting to be anywhere else. She would never voice it aloud but she was grateful for the desk between them, if she was any closer to John trying to keep herself from reaching to him, even just a chaste embrace for comfort, would be too hard to resist. He couldn't know it but he still had a hold on her. Tom wasn't the magic off switch to Cadence's complicated feelings for John but she knew trying to have a relationship with John was self-destructive. He caused her as much pain as pleasure, every stolen kiss brought grief and guilt with it, reminders of what was lost between them and what could never be.

"Is there anything else sir?" she queried, her voice shaky as she failed to summon back her calm to it.

"You made the news again," he snapped at her, "hardly front line but some barely qualified reporter spotted you and Landis embracing at the airport. You're too damn recognisable this year." He slammed a finger down to the article on his desk. "It's a sickening read of speculation and hopes for some kind of 'rebel romance' as they termed it. The problem is wordplay like that catches on. As you say, you've enough scandals for the year, do you think your father would appreciate another in time for Christmas? Because that's what they will make it, you're not just a Democrat, you're a formerly fallen one, they're waiting for you to slip up again, you know that, your thesis was treason, they'll probably wonder if you're slipping secrets to the Republican."

Cadence shook her head angrily at this. "John don't be jealous, it's beneath you."

John gave her another icy stare. "Cadence, the press have wrote worse about you with less. It is not your fault and I have always said that but for one reason or another you do attract bad news. You've been in the papers a lot for such a short career, why can't you date a Democrat?"

"You're not my father John, don't tell me who to date," she retorted scornfully. "My actual father isn't."

"I don't believe for two seconds that Leo is okay with this."

"John I will still vote Democrat at the polls and Tom will vote Republican, our political beliefs don't come into our personal relationship."

John raised his finger to point at her angrily. "Cadence, you both work in politics, that's not an option."

Cadence shook her head again. "John, I'm not talking about my dating life with you anymore. I'm sorry you're hurt but you've hurt me too and I can't keep going like this. I've told you before, it's not enough for me to have you on your terms, to sit and wait for the crumbs and love you only in secret, it's not right, and it's not fair to your wife or your kids. Everything else in my life has been crazy and I need stability right now, I can't maintain all the lies this government asks of me, it's too much and people are dying over it. I just need something that's honest for a change."

"Well Landis isn't honest Cady, no politician is," John retorted waspishly. He held up a hand before she could protest. His gaze had softened slightly at her mention of love and he realised that her feelings hadn't stopped, she had merely blocked them. "I won't go on about it anymore because you're right, it is up to you who you date. I just wanted to warn you about the press sniffing around and protect you from another scandal because you don't deserve anymore, you're right about that too, you deserve peace and stability. I want that for you and I want you to continue to have a good career here because I am lucky to have you."

Cadence raised her eyebrows slightly but she didn't correct John this time as she realised he was right in spite of what she had said. As long as she worked for John he did have her.

"Alright sir, can I go now?" she queried softly. Despite her successful resistance to John she still felt defeated somehow.

John nodded. "Sure, I'll talk to you later."


Knowing what his trigger was didn't make it any easier for Josh Lyman. It wasn't exactly easy to avoid the sound of trumpets during the Christmas season and coupled with the flashes of twinkling lights on Christmas trees and suddenly it was sirens and the flickering crimson and blue of emergency lights racing through his mind before he could help it.

The therapy was done, the psychiatrists had gotten their breakthrough and Josh had been dismissed with a callous sort of farewell. They had been smug with their swift diagnosis, Josh was textbook, and sure when Christmas passed and the triggers were lessened so too would be his flashbacks of the sordid ordeal. Time was a great fixer too, everyone said that and work was the ultimate distraction. The problem was, he couldn't focus completely on his work and look for its distraction if he was already distracted.

He had found himself in the White House lobby, zoned out to the sound of trumpets until a nudge from Sam had brought him back to the reality. The president had a heavy itinerary, this was the week before Christmas when entertaining expensive carollers mixed with tolerating meetings with the unsatisfied upstarts in the party, and signing off a mile long list of impersonal cards blended with signing off army orders in an attempt to stave off wars but not become vulnerable to them. No one ever wanted war but trying to start one at Christmas was always bad for the vote.

Josh was now walking side by side with Sam, thinking of the fallen in Rosslyn who wouldn't be receiving or sending cards this year. He thought of the unending race war the attack had reminded them off, a war still unresolved and still being fought as Agent Casper's intel had confirmed. Although the advice was that Zoey and Charlie were not active targets anymore, no one was ready to take that for gospel truth and relax.

"Josh? Josh?"

Another nudge from Sam resulted in a confused, "huh?" in response.

"I was asking do you have any Christmas gifts left to get?" Sam prompted as they continued to walk. "I've still a few."

"Oh. Um..." Josh thought about it. His mother was content spending Christmas with her new beau, she didn't expect her son to rush home for the sake of the season and he was at a loose end considering where he would be for the holidays. He had always despised Christmas since his youth, painful thinking of his absent sister, worse when he had to assign another empty seat to his father. When you made a point of gathering for a family meal, it was always too obvious who was missing at the sparsely occupied dining table.

"Did you buy for Donna?" Sam pried as he tried to help Josh consider who might be on his gift list.

"She buys herself and bills me later," Josh answered brightly. He smiled fondly at this. "It's a great system, I wish more people could be like that. You should ask Mallory to be like that."

"No thanks," Sam dismissed that suggestion, "Mallory has only just stopped being mad at me over that dinner fiasco with Tom."

"Tom?" Josh echoed as he smirked at his co-worker. "Don't let Toby hear you use his forename, he'll probably try and have an exorcism performed on you."

"Ha, ha," Sam sneered as his expression curdled slightly before he turned his gaze ahead, mindful of the people they were bypassing. "Mallory gets annoyed if I call him Congressman Landis, she says it's rude and impersonal." Sam pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I haven't even seen him since the dinner but Mallory is over the moon with him, it's all I have been hearing Josh and it does make me a little mad," he admitted even as he looked ahead and tried to feign calm, "only because it's been so repetitive lately, Tom this and Tom that, because he sacrificed a meeting to go to Chicago for Cady." Sam's unimpressed expression remained as they veered towards Mrs. Landingham's domain. "You would think he was a saint, which is a pedestal too lofty for any of us."

Josh snorted at this. "You sound jealous Sam. Maybe you should tell Mallory it wasn't just a boring office meeting he sacrificed, it was one he's spent months trying to arrange to persuade some Republican senators to raise a vote for tax reductions for guardians," Josh continued in a rant as he let some anger slip into his voice, "and tell her that he was stupid cancelling that for her siren sister and even stupider for doing it at the last minute and that his own party is quite mad with him and unlikely to take him, a liberal Republican, seriously again," Josh snapped.

Seeing Sam's slightly astonished look, Josh fixed a sardonic smile on his face. "You know, luring Tom from Republican business to Chicago is probably the most Democratic thing Cadence has done," Josh mocked in an attempt to swap his rage for humour.

Josh didn't know why Tom's personal decisions irked him so much, they shouldn't and he knew it, if anything he should have been happy about it all just as Toby was or indifferent like C.J who had smiled patiently and shrugged over the news before stating nicely that 'sweet as Tom was, he wasn't a big fish in the Republican pond and was too liberal to make many waves so why should his business matter?'

Tom had effectively dealt a blow to himself and to his party with his choice to skip a meeting to push for a vote on a tax change unpopular with the Democrats. Josh knew how hard Tom must have worked just to get the meeting put in place so the idea that he had thrown it all away for a woman he hardly knew was a little difficult for Josh to sympathise with. He wondered if that was the core of his annoyance and interest in the matter, if it was more to do with the fact that Cadence had indirectly caused it. Perhaps, Josh told himself, he was simply angry that Tom thought Cadence was worth the sacrifice.

Sam sighed and halted. He gave Josh a serious stare as his colleague halted too and looked at him questioningly. "Josh, maybe I shouldn't say this, Mallory told me and it's probably not meant to be common knowledge but Cady went to Chicago to see where Robbie Donovan died. She rang Tom to let him know she was flying there and he went so she wouldn't be alone. Cady didn't ask him to go, he chose to."

Josh tried to conceal his surprise even as his eyebrows lifted slightly. "Idiot," he scorned, "he hasn't even been with her long." He gestured down to the ground with one hand. "See Sam, she just breeds trouble, without even meaning it."

Sam looked a little startled by Josh's scorn. "Well alright, that wasn't exactly the reaction I anticipated. Hmm I thought you liked the guy Josh." He smiled before turning ahead. "Alright, so you're not getting him or Cady a Christmas present then," Sam attempted to dismiss the manner swiftly. "Let's keep going, the president's waiting."

Sam started walking briskly again.

Josh stared after him numbly as he wondered again why he even cared at all that Tom was effectively screwing up his career for romance. He shook his head and started walking, matching Sam's pace with ease.

"Does Cadence know?" Josh pried. "What Tom left to go to Chicago?"

Sam shrugged, unhappy at Josh pushing the issue. "I'm not sure, Mallory heard it from the president. Cady just told her she phoned Tom and he heard her worry in her voice," Sam pulled a face at this, "I'm sure they're exaggerating, I'm sure Mal is. She just finds it funny to tease me about Tom."

Josh gave a weak smile at this. He had noticed how insightful Tom could be and figured Tom just might have heard worry in Cadence's voice when she had phoned him.

They reached Mrs. Landingham and gave her their polite, afternoon greetings. It didn't earn either of them a cookie, which was disappointing as she had bought some rather tempting looking Christmas cookies for her jar.

Mrs. Landingham informed the president of their arrival, never breaking her calm facade even as shouts and curses for the 'infernal intercom' were her response. With a small smile, she waved the men into the Oval Office.

Inside the pair found the president seated at his desk signing cards whilst Charlie stood beside him, poised with his hands behind his back as he gave corrections and suggestions.

"I hope my card has a nice cash surprise in it," Josh jested as he stepped up to the desk.

"Josh that would be very unethical," Jed retorted calmly as he kept his head bowed to the cards, "and if I did it for you I'd have to do it for all my staff and this job just does not pay that well."

"Alright sir," Josh answered with a smile, "I was just kidding."

Jed glanced up with a grin. "I know, so was I, I'd only do it for my favourites. I was sparing your feelings," he said in a deadpan manner.

"Did you go with the religious decorated ones or the more...fantastical ones sir?" Sam pried.

Sam felt a pleasant warmth in the office, a nice comparison to the chill of the corridors they have paced through to get here. Winter was upon them and promising to be its usual icy, unforgiving self. Although the damp days had faded for the moment, the replacement was a bitter nip in the air that drew out one's breath without warning in trails of mist leaving an unpleasant frosty chill down the throat in its place.

"Fantastical?" Josh repeated as he glanced at Sam out of the corner of his eye questioningly.

"You know, Santa, elves, flying reindeer," Sam retorted with a wave of his hands, "fantastical."

"Magical," Charlie suggested as he smiled at the pair, "and the president went for a mixture, we were supplied this year's cards by a company that has local artists right here in D.C designing them, with proceeds going to veterans."

"Oh Toby will like that," Josh enthused, "did he suggest them?"

"No, Zoey did via Cady," Charlie retorted, "Cady showed her them in a shop, something about llamas and flamingos. We went for a more traditional set by the artist." He gave a slightly confused, small shrug with his shoulders before turning his stare back to the desk. "Sir, Sallingo is spelled with two ls and there is no h at the end of Aurora."

Jed sighed mournfully. "I just wanted to send Senator Donner a Happy Holidays one but if you write to one Republican in the House you have to write to them all," he complained. "And Leo says if I send one addressed to 'The Both of You' to Cadence and Tom then he's quitting and much as I would welcome the peace could you imagine the chaos we'd face in the New Year without him?" Jed glanced up at Sam and Josh and smiled. "So I'm letting Abbey write that card."

"Isn't it a bit soon sir?" Josh blurted out. "They haven't been dating long."

"You sound like Leo, Josh, and I was joking," Jed responded dryly. "Cady is getting whatever card Abbey picks and writes from all of us, I have no say in the matter."

Josh wondered where Leo was when Jed mentioned him. He had been surprised not to find him waiting here and was unaware of any meetings he might be at. Given Leo's role as the White House Chief of Staff, Josh hardly expected him to be twiddling his thumbs but it was odd he wasn't here when they had come to discuss legislation.

"No llamas or flamingos then?" Sam queried. He looked confused at the wilting stares Charlie and Josh fixed upon him. "What? They sounded nice!"

"Anyway gentlemen, you didn't come here to discuss cards, although the history on them is fascinating," Jed remarked with a broad smile. "Did you know the first recorded Christmas card was sent to King James the First of England?" he quipped as he looked at them with a bright spark in his dark azure eyes. "'A greeting on the birthday of the Sacred King', it said," Jed remarked in a clear, authoritative voice that Josh had privately dubbed his 'professor voice'. "That was in 1611 but it was over two hundred years before they became commercial. Again, we can thank England, for it was Sir Henry Cole who commissioned them in 1843-"

"Sir," Josh interrupted with a flash of an apologetic smile, "that's fascinating, really but we were hoping to talk about foreign policy."

The joy dimmed from Jed's eyes and he turned his attention back to the cards.

"Leo is unsure on that," Jed remarked quietly, almost in a grumble, "our friends in the House are pushing to overturn the lowering of taxes on Colombian goods, an act Chief Deputy Majority Whip Haffley has been very vocal about, and that is the last time I'm going to say that mouthful of a title of his," Jed murmured moodily as he continued to sign cards.

Charlie stiffened slightly as his dark eyes rolled upwards momentarily as he prepared for the rant that he knew was coming at the mention of Congressman Haffley's name.

"He wants to know why we'd offer what appears to be an apology to Colombia if we, the government, did nothing wrong," Jed sneered sardonically. "Certainly, our Republican friends surely cannot want a war with Colombia but then again," he continued with false cheer, "perhaps if it's one they can blame me for it'll help boost their popularity."

"Ah Haffley," Josh mused merrily, "a fascist even for Republicans. Well if you extend the lowering of taxes for exporting goods to the USA to the rest of South America instead of just Colombia it would be less personal but if we are losing out on the taxes, then the cost of the goods must go up and we would have the American people making up the money we've lost in trade and then we may as well tell them to vote Republican next time," he added with a slight smirk.

"Which is why we'd rather give than take," Sam said brightly, "and consider financial aid to putting an end to child soldiers in Kundu. It's a foreign aid the American people will support and it'll detract from the tax reduction we've offered Colombia."

Jed glanced up from his cards. "I certainly would like for every child in the world to have a choice in their future but we will have Republican opposition to it, they'll ask where the money is coming from and how we will make up for the loss in taxes from Colombia." He shook his head. "Haffley is pushing for a vote on the matter of reduced taxes for American people who become guardians to those outside their immediate household. He has, rather slyly, pointed out that if we cancelled the tax reduction on Colombian imports, there might not be much of a difference. The matter of war doesn't seem to concern him but it won't until we openly admit it's a possibility, which we won't because then we'd have to discuss the C.I.A and dead soldiers and that matter is never getting raised for discussion again," Jed said sternly.

"Sir?" Sam glanced at Josh and found he appeared just as confused as Sam.

Jed continued to stare down at the cards as he answered. "People who take in extra members to their households," his voice was calm as he talked. "It's a familiar sounding request isn't it?" he queried sardonically.

Josh frowned and folded his arms. "It's To-Congressman Landis'."

Josh felt a sudden sense of disappointment weighing on him. He didn't think the liberal Tom would have much association with the fascist Haffley but it was difficult to see how Haffley was now pushing Tom's request if there wasn't a connection between the pair.

Jed glanced up to Josh with a tranquil stare before turning his attention to Charlie. "Charlie how is Senator Hollington spelling his name?"

"She and it's Hollywell sir," Charlie responded brightly.

"Are you writing to the entire party?" Sam queried.

"Blame Eisenhower," Jed grumbled, "he started the official White House Christmas card business."

"Sir, what about this financial aid?" Josh pressed for an explanation. "You're not considering Haffley's ultimatum are you?

Jed waved the pen in his hand about with a casual dismissive gesture. "He's trying to call our bluff, the American people think Colombia was just a misunderstanding revolving around a graduate student taking a gap year with terrorists masquerading as villagers along with a more recent mixup with undercover C.I.A agents in Colombia and they saw us offering a tax reduction on imported goods to Colombia as a means of soothing such misunderstandings," he sounded out 'misunderstandings' bitingly.

Jed looked up to Sam and Josh pointedly and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Haffley evidently senses something amiss, most of the House does, Director Wolfe just brought too much damn attention to it all when he tried to blackmail us and the suicide of that Agent Sparks stirred a little of it up despite us keeping a lid on it. Haffley is obviously hoping if he focuses on it enough either he'll expose something or have us give in to his demands to make this attention go away."

Jed frowned. "Now you know why Leo's not here," he stated bluntly, "he's due to meet with Cady and Congressman Landis for some sort of meet and greet and Leo doesn't want linked to this when we reject Haffley, he can't have Cady mad at him yet again but it's fine for her to be angry with me. Also, the less Leo knows about this the better, he's ready to call out Landis for using Haffley to blackmail us for his own agenda even though I've cautioned him, we have no evidence that's what Landis has intended."

Sam felt a mixture of surprise and slight woe. He noticed how Jed didn't bother saying 'Tom' and had dropped the congressman's title quickly. Despite his words, Sam knew Jed had already concluded that Tom was playing dirty.

Jed sighed. "I honestly thought we'd make it to Christmas without another fallout. You know," he added bitterly, "it's not groundbreaking, Landis' proposal, it's been noted that there are people in this country who have opened their doors to members not of their immediate family but do not receive any extra aid for doing so, which means they could be putting themselves in a tight financial spot and one could argue that maybe if there was a better incentive for them, more doors would be opened. I wouldn't accept a direct tax reduction for them, we need to put more thought into it than that but I would have debated the matter and considered alternatives if he had been the one to raise it. Congressman Haffley presents it as a Republican policy to be exchanged for a Democratic one, drop the benefit of less taxes for the foreign Colombians and have a benefit of less taxes for our own people who graciously open their doors to others."

Jed looked up to Sam and Josh with another frown. "Makes us sound like the bad guys, doesn't it?" he grumbled. He sighed again. "Worse, they hold the House and the Senate so when I reject it, which I will because I'm not happy with how Haffley presented it, the legislation is likely to get passed anyway."

Josh's frown deepened. The president was right, if he agreed to the policy it sounded like he was bowing to Republican demands and he was putting their already volatile relationship with Colombia at risk but rejecting it made it appear as if they prioritised Colombian interests over the American people's. Josh felt a fresh anger Tom, both for being so stupid as to abandon raising the matter to run after Cadence and for turning to a sneaky friend like Jeff Haffley to fix his mistake.

"Sir, firstly, there is a financial incentive for fostering," Josh pointed out, "which has been exploited in some cases were numerous children find themselves in one household of neglect because they are viewed only by the money the government supplies their guardian." Josh shook his head. "Sir, I know the House holds the power but let's not accept that we're going to lose by default. We should get Leo on board with this and come up with a strategy."

"He's not in the room for a reason," Jed conceded.

Sam looked thoughtful about it. "Well we could outmanoeuvre them," he murmured, "let's not do a tax reduction but an alternative boon, an improvement to the financial support already offered for fostering.

"It's not about that," Josh said bluntly. "I read Landis' proposal," he confessed, "Toby and I both did, back when we thought he was up to something in Chicago," he added sheepishly. He rubbed at his dark curls before pressing a hand against his brow momentarily. He could feel a headache budding and tried to suppress it. "He wants to focus on blood relations, uncles and aunts that become guardians to their orphaned nieces and nephews, grand-parents who take on grandchildren because of bereavement. He feels these people fall through the cracks, that they do it out of duty and don't even know if they're entitled to help."

"We need a figure and we need to know where it's coming from," Sam advised.

"Right," Jed retorted carefully, "Haffley is going to raise this issue, we're going to reject the tax proposal but counter it with a financial incentive instead. Well, we'd better make it good if we want him to let go of Colombia. I wish everyone would let go of that mess," he added darkly.

Josh pressed his fingertips into his brow. "Landis pulls a stunt like this and we effectively end up helping him get what he wants," he grumbled.

"It's a smart move," Jed acknowledged. He gave Josh a calming stare. "Don't take it personally Josh," he advised.

Josh lowered his hand. "Politics is always personal sir," he answered sternly.


I know, Jeff Haffley is a Season 5 character, I think we can safely assume I've gone rogue. I thought this fic would be finished about ten chapters ago so thank you to all my loyal readers for still being entertained by it. It's definitely my escapism for current times.
I find politics fascinating and political dramas some of the best but my goodness, even though I studied history and politics all the jargon and laws melts my head. Hopefully, there is some form of accuracy here and, more importantly, entertainment.
I really love the Republicans that came into the later show, yes Jeff is a prick but my goodness he's good at it and so wonderfully portrayed by Steven Culp. I really love Jeff as a character, I think he brought certain layers to the role.