Out of all the situations he had been in, in Washington D.C. including serving as a closet drunk and pill popper under a president he loathed and putting a president he loved at risk when his vices were exposed, Leo McGarry decided promptly that this situation still might rank in the top five of the worst.

Patriarch of the very much now broken McGarry family, Leo still held hopes for some form of reconciliation over the holidays. It was a cliché and his hopes for it grew fainter and fainter as Christmas drew nearer but he clung to the possibility of celebrating with his daughters if not his estranged wife and ending the year on a peaceful note with his youngest. The fact that said youngest was dating a Republican who had gotten his ally to pull a dirty stunt to help him get a desired tax reduction approved was why Leo was considering this might be his fourth or even third worst situation in D.C.

Leo sat a table trying not to be grim faced as he waited for his main course. The festive outing had been suggested by Tom, an offer of dinner to make up for the one Leo hadn't been invited to, and a chance for Leo to get to know his daughter's boyfriend on the promise that it would be on neutral territory. Certainly the restaurant of choice wasn't Switzerland but it wasn't a dining room of the White House or canteen of the Republican Congress either.

Leo couldn't even recall the name of the restaurant he was seated in, he had dined in so many stately places now it was hard to bat an eye at this one. Sure it was fancy, decked out for Christmas with a subtle theme of gold and white so as to invoke class and not the cliché of colourful baubles and lights but it was nothing spectacular. Its main appeal was a large window paned view of its courtyard, a beauty of fountains budding in a rectangular pool of water, highlighted with white lights. It didn't impress Leo, he thought it was almost a mockery given it was too cold to actually sit outside and enjoy it.

Their table was in a raised section that was passable where privacy was concerned. There were only a select number of identical round tables up here with generous spacing between them, a view of the garden to one side and a glimpse of the main body of the restaurant on the opposing side. The differences between the upper and lower sectors were subtle- white beeswax candles bobbing in water added a distracting touch to the fancier tables which had linen cloths patterned with gold pine tree silhouettes on their trim, a little brighter than the plain off-white cloths for the tables below.

Leo glanced to the right where his youngest sat. Cadence McGarry, still a child in her father's eyes, more so now that she was sitting aligned with her much older boyfriend. Leo knew he had to try and make an effort, Landis wasn't the worst but his manoeuvre with Haffley was sneaky even if it was just politics. At least Leo hoped it was just politics, it was hard to shake the fear that Haffley was sniffing around Colombia for a reason, that Tom had divulged something to him, some secret Cadence had dared to entrust him with. Leo thought of all the dark secrets that his own team didn't know about Colombia, the lies, the deaths and the cover-up Cadence had been forced to take part in. She hardly knew Tom and yet Leo had found her venting to him in the lobby before they had even started dating, who knew what she had told him since?

Tom had suggested the dinner the day before Haffley had made his move. Leo wondered if he was regretting the peace offering now.

Leo caught Cadence's probing, slightly irate stare. She had been through grief and betrayal with Agent Sparks, Leo didn't want another man deceiving her but he knew he couldn't make accusations to Tom without being sure. Tom had gone to Chicago for her and he had, as he had vowed to Leo, brought her home safely from the city. Yet it gnawed at Leo because he couldn't let Cadence continue to date Tom on the chance that he was using her secrets for political gain.

Tom was watching Leo with a patient stare as they waited for their food. There had been no starter, Cadence had vetoed it, wary of another never ending dinner, and Tom hadn't argued. Leo hadn't protested either but Tom got the impression it was because Leo wanted to get the evening over and done with as quickly as possible. Conversation between them had been non-existent save for the expected greetings between them. Tom knew Leo was ready to snap and he had a fair idea what about, knowing he wasn't avoiding it Tom had resided himself to bracing for it calmly.

Leo ignored Cadence's stare as his gaze darted over to the congressman. He saw the unflinching calm on Tom's fair face and a moment of anger overcame him. How could the man sit and face him down so brazenly after what he'd done?

"So you know Jeff Haffley," Leo said it as an accusation. "Does he owe you a favour on this one or will you owe him?"

Tom clasped his hands on the table momentarily. "Jeff and I are friends," he answered brightly with a small, harmless smile.

"What's this about dad?" Cadence demanded as her angry gaze darted between the men. She recognised the name Haffley only vaguely and knew it belonged to a Republican congressman but she didn't know of his notoriety and she couldn't understand why her father's tone when asking about him was hostile.

Leo regretted the question. He knew it wasn't the place or the time. If he was being really honest with himself he knew it wasn't his place to ask about it. He glanced about the restaurant momentarily. It was busy as expected, fully booked and thriving with activity. It meant there were numerous witnesses but none were close enough thanks to their superior seats and busyness also meant there was a lot of conflicting background noise of music and chatter to block out their conversation. He thought about letting the matter go but then he thought about Cadence getting caught up in another smear campaign about Colombia and he saw red again.

Leo gestured out to Tom with one hand as he looked directly at his daughter.

"Reduced taxes for the American people who become guardians to their relations," he stated bluntly. "A noble policy Landis here was meant to raise amongst the Republican senators only he skipped out on that meeting. I thought it was a nice sacrifice he'd made to see you in Chicago, Cady, but I was wrong, Landis skipped the meeting and got his fascist friend Haffley to push it instead."

Tom's mouth slid down to a frown as his pale blue stare filled with anger.

"That's not how it happened," he remarked heatedly.

There was a hesitation amongst the trio as their food arrived. A waiter appeared with a silver trolley laden with goods. The three dishes were served out to them along with their sides and an offer of drinks. Leo shook his head when he was asked if he wanted something other than water whilst Tom declined another beer. Cadence held up her wine glass for a top-up while looking from one man to another with an unwavering stern stare.

The young woman waited until the waiter had retreated out of hearing and as Leo fumbled with his napkin and Tom reached for his cutlery she snapped at them, "what's going on? What are you two talking about?"

Tom stared across the table to Leo with a measure of scorn in his pale blue eyes. He didn't appreciate being called 'Landis', Mr. Landis he would've accepted, informal as it was but the lack of a title was rudeness and he knew Leo meant to insult him.

"You started this conversation, do you want to continue it?" Tom queried in a biting tone.

Leo might have dropped the matter until Tom spoke in a manner Leo knew was full of smug scorn implying that Leo was somehow in the wrong over this issue. His own blue stare matched Tom's ire before he turned it upon Cadence, hoping she would understand that he wanted only to protect her.

"Cady," Leo addressed his daughter in a quiet, brisk voice as he gestured outwards to Tom, "this congressman wanted to present a matter before his party, a legislation that would get taxes reduced for people who become guardians to their relations. Whether his party were ever going to go for it on his word or not, I don't know," Leo muttered with a wave of his hand, "and we will never know because he abandoned a meeting with the Republican senators to go to Chicago. Now, I was willing to believe that was for you," Leo added defensively as he saw the anger and confusion flitting across his daughter's face as she tensed in shoulders and her mouth fixed into a thin line as she tried to hold back her emotions, "I really was Cady but I was wrong. Landis here had his friend Chief Deputy Majority Whip Haffley raise the matter, a fascist with one hell of a bite to match his bark," Leo snapped as he turned a glower back to Tom and pointed at him accusingly.

Tom remained still, demonstrating a brittle calm as a quiet anger burned into his blue irises. He flinched only when he felt a damp trickle on his philtrum and realised that a nosebleed had begun. His mouth creased down into an immediate frown as he grasped for the festive red napkin resting beside his cooling dinner.

"You cancelled a meeting with senators to come to Chicago?" Cadence queried quietly as she turned to face Tom with puzzlement. "A meeting about a tax you wanted changed? Why would you do that Tom?"

"Because he knew he'd get it passed with Haffley!" Leo snarled out before he could help himself. "I wouldn't be surprised if he knew it was going to fail if he raised it himself," he grumbled, "which means running to Chicago probably seemed like divine intervention. He looked selfless when in reality he wanted the excuse."

Tom held Leo's gaze as he dabbed at his nostrils, his bitter frown concealed by his napkin.

"You are determined to think the worst of me irregardless of what I say or do," Tom commented calmly as he lowered the napkin momentarily. He sighed. "I'm a liberal so you're probably right, I may not have gotten my suggestion raised before the House for debate but believe me I had and still have every intentions of trying. I'm not doing a good job for my people if I don't try."

"Tom, why didn't you go to the meeting?" Cadence demanded as she gave him a wounded stare. She was fidgeting with her hands, she clasped them on the table before shifting them onto her lap. She wanted to be angry with Tom but the sight of streaks of crimson soaking his upper lip kept her rage at bay.

"I didn't ask you to come to Chicago, I told you not to," she said firmly.

Tom mustered a flicker of a faint smile for her before he dabbed at his nostrils again.

"Cady," he addressed her gently, "you sounded upset and I was worried. When I met you, you hid under a desk because a door banged too loudly and you talked about Colombia in this odd, cryptic manner. I know something bad happened to you, I just don't know what but I've gathered enough to notice you are not in a good place and there was no way in hell I was letting you go to Chicago alone in that vulnerable state."

Leo let out a snort. "Colombia," he sounded out the name hatefully wondering if he would ever shake its shadow from his door. "Are you sure you don't know about it?" he demanded as he gave Tom another angry stare. "Your friend is certainly making enough noise about it."

Tom lowered the napkin and stretched his hands out and around his plate in exasperation. "What are you talking about?" he quipped in frustration. "I haven't mentioned Colombia to him, I've nothing to mention and I haven't told a single soul why I went to Chicago. Why are you so angry? If I was a Democrat you'd probably admire the power play," he accused as he shot Leo another irritated stare.

Leo took up his cutlery in a tight grasp, suddenly feeling a need to hold something to stave off the urge to thump the table or throw a punch at the arrogant Republican. He knew part of his anger stemmed from the fact that he was shut out of this business in the White House. He had requested distance because he was due to attend this dinner but then he had reminded himself he was the Chief of Staff and he couldn't put his personal life ahead, he hadn't done it for Jenny, he couldn't do it for Cadence and he hated Landis for putting him in this position so soon after his last fallout with Cadence.

"Not when it involves dirty tricks that put my daughter at risk!" Leo snapped.

Cadence flinched at Leo's raised voice as he started to lose his temper. She didn't know what to say, too confused to figure out how to calm the situation and unsure if she even wanted to, at least not until she'd gotten the truth of the matter.

"What?" Tom cocked his head slightly as he gave Leo an incredulous expression. "I still don't know what you're talking about," he complained, weary of the conversation now.

Tom clutched the napkin to his nostrils with one hand, all he could smell was blood now despite the steam full of scents wafting up from his spoiled dinner.

"Haffley wants us to cancel our tax reduction on Colombian imports and pass it to these guardians of yours instead," Leo replied with a slight sneer, certain that Tom was bluffing, "but you knew that Landis, it's all part of your plan. You learned enough about Colombia from Cady and now you're getting Haffley to use it in some sneaky move to get us to roll over and pass your tax bill for you."

Tom shook his head. "Mr McGarry this is not the place for this conversation," he said quietly. "Jeff doesn't know anything about Colombia from me."

"Well he is acting like he does," Leo snapped. His tone rose an octave again hearing Tom call Haffley 'Jeff', it was a nickname and therefore a sign of friendship and familiarity. It was one thing to be polite to the extremists in your party because they were colleagues after all and quite another to be friends with them.

Tom turned his face to the right, facing out to the diners on the lower floor who were enjoying their food and ignorant to the small, disgruntled party who didn't seem hungry. The congressman gave a smile laced with bitterness as he envied the others their oblivious happiness.

Cadence was numb as she stared at the table, unwilling to look at either man. She hadn't been expecting a joyous affair tonight, just some awkward pleasantries but she hadn't anticipated it would turn into a hostile mess.

Tom muttered a curse when he felt a droplet of blood escape to spatter onto his grey trousers. He dabbed at his nose in rapid frustration before turning his attention back to Leo.

"Did it ever occur to you that Jeff is suspicious about Colombia because you gave them a tax reduction?" Tom queried calmly. "Oh sure, you can say it was to smooth over whatever the C.I.A did or didn't do except Director Wolfe is still in charge and you sent the Vice President to do the smoothing over. Maybe," he said as he reached forward to a gold, pine tree shaped salt shaker and rocked it back with his fingertip, "you can say it was a recognition of your renewed relations and an apology for the problems you'd had. The C.I.A giving weapons to drug dealers and Cady unknowingly mixed up with terrorists, something you made her go and apologise for. The problem is Mr McGarry," Tom commented as he released the salt shaker and turned an accusing stare up to Leo, "Colombia didn't give you anything. Not one token gesture by way of thanks or indeed apology, you know, an apology for an American citizen visiting their country to provide charity to some needy villagers and instead getting caught up by terrorists. They acknowledged that she couldn't have known what they were but they didn't apologise and they should have." Tom pointed at Leo this time. "They should have Mr. McGarry if that's how it all really happened."

Cadence stood up from the table suddenly. She glanced from one man to the other as she addressed them both calmly. Whilst her voice never trembled the quiver in her clenched hands betrayed her nerves. In the right one she clutched at a napkin.

"I'm not going to be a pawn anymore," she said in a voice quiet but stern, "and I'm sorry that my mess has created this mess dad." She sucked in a deep breath. "I'm sorry too that you felt you had to miss your meeting for me Tom," she added in a cool calm. "I can't do it anymore, I'm sick of the secrets and the lies, I really am."

"Cady I never told Jeff to challenge the Colombia tax reduction," Tom protested.

Cadence held up a hand to the congressman, cutting him off. "It's okay, I just, I was stupid to think I could have a dinner with two politicians and not discuss politics, that was my error. "

Cadence lowered her hand. "I don't know what happens next but I can't deal with this dinner."

Cadence turned and walked up away from the table as Leo sprang up to follow after her. She halted momentarily to turn an icy gaze upon her father.

Tom remained at the table. He tugged his wallet out of his jacket pocket, threw down a handful notes and then tugged out a pen to scribble onto a napkin hastily. As he hunted for a clean napkin he noticed the crumpled one Cadence had abandoned, half-shaped into what he thought might be a mouse. He realised she must have been fiddling with it while her hands were in her lap and frowned as another realisation came to him. Cadence's origami wasn't a cute quirk but a distraction from her nerves, she did it only when she was uneasy not as a happy hobby.

"Dad don't follow me," Cadence addressed Leo sternly in a low voice. She was conscious of their audience although no one seemed to notice them. She knew all too many of them found her face familiar though most of them couldn't quite place it, and even more of them recognised the Chief of Staff in the White House. Sure they were engrossed in their own affairs but given Leo's prestige position it was hard to believe some of them weren't trying to subtly pay attention to him.

The tension in Cadence's brow relaxed as she tried to summon up some calm. "Think of your job, think of your boss," she cautioned her father quietly. "I'd love to be a martyr and offer to confess my sins but it will only make things worse not better so you and Tom have to agree how it's silenced and I would rather not know how that is," she added miserably as she fiddled with the gold coloured buttons on her silk shirt. "I just wanted someone that wasn't part of this shady game." She let a sardonic chuckle slip out before she could help it. "John did warn me a politician wouldn't be honest."

Leo's silvery-grey eyebrows rose a fraction as Cadence called the VP but his forename. It took him a couple of seconds to actually realise who 'John' was.

Leo reached out a hand to his daughter's arm but she pulled back. "Cady I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I am but I couldn't let you continue to date this guy if there was a chance he was using secrets about you to effectively blackmail us into passing Republican legislation."

"Dad, Tom and I haven't spoken much about Colombia, there's nothing I told him that...could be used," she trailed off quietly. "So he's probably telling the truth about Haffley." She shrugged. "The C.I.A do something but it's the Vice President who apologises," she said softly, "and then me, the civilian, sorry for something I didn't know I was doing, shit," she cursed before she could help herself and shook her head, "something I didn't even do," she corrected stubbornly, "and then the tax reductions."

Leo frowned as he thought about Tom's accusation that Cadence was owed an apology. He realised grudgingly that the congressman was right and the irony was Tom didn't even know why he was right. He glanced about his surroundings cautiously, this definitely wasn't the place or the time.

Leo just nodded. "I'll talk to Landis," he said grudgingly.

"Good and if you can't call him Tom, call him Congressman Landis, he calls you Mr McGarry," Cadence scorned her father.

She turned away without a farewell, navigating down the steps and through the tables towards the entrance.

Leo bristled slightly before turning back to the table. He frowned as he saw it was vacant. Tom had fled while Leo was talking to Cadence. Figuring the Republican had probably skipped out on the bill as well, Leo paced back to the table, watching out of the corner of his eye for a waiter to summon.

He found a small stack of bills in the centre of the table with a scrawled on napkin beside them. The napkin read 'I'll get Colombia dropped because she matters'.

Leo tensed again as he reached a hand up to the wrinkles in his brow. He wondered if there was a jibe with the message, an implication that Cadence had not or did not matter to Leo. It made him loathe the Republican again but also himself. If he had been putting Cadence first he wouldn't have mentioned Colombia tonight but he hadn't been, he had been thinking of the humiliation of the President of the United States being threatened by Republicans.

Cadence said she'd discussed little about Colombia with Tom so he could not know that second time round on her apology visit she had disappeared- taken and beaten had been John's opinion but Cadence wasn't willing to admit to that. Leo thought about her phone call from Chicago and how she had sobbed that Leo was stronger than her and wouldn't have gotten abducted again. Again. That word had sent a jarring pang through him but when she had returned to D.C she had clammed up all over again. Leo knew John had been right, Cadence had been kidnapped in Colombia, taken, beaten and marked by persons unknown. It had been a warning or a message but by whom Leo wasn't sure. He didn't even really care, his concern was its effects on Cadence. Yet God help him wasn't he glad she had been quiet about it? That she hadn't screamed about it in Colombia or made a scene? That there wasn't a fresh scandal for Jed to be humiliated by.

"Sir, can I help?"

Leo looked over at the voice and gave the curious waiter a faint smile. "Just the cheque please," he requested calmly. Seeing the waiter's gaze shift to the uneaten plates, he added hastily, "business came up. In fact, I'm in a hurry, I'm needed back at work."

The waiter nodded. He recognised who Leo McGarry was and believed the business must be serious. "I'll get it right away." He scurried off.

As Cadence exited out of the restaurant she was surprised to see Tom standing on the sidewalk, waiting patiently in his long, black, woollen coat.

"You remembered your coat," he praised as he gave a small half-grin.

Cadence nodded as she finished buttoning up her navy, woollen coat. The Chessie pin still glinted on the lapel, a reminder to her to grab her coat.

"Cady, before you tell me you're tired and don't want to talk, I just need to say a few things first," Tom said firmly. "One, I didn't use Chicago as an excuse to run from my meeting, I knew you needed me and I didn't tell anyone why I missed the meeting. Two, I don't regret going to Chicago, you're a strong person and I think you'd have gotten by without me but I think I helped and," he paused and gave her a fond smile as his almost clear blue eyes twinkled with joy, "I would be a complete idiot to ever say I regretted our time in the hotel."

Tom raised his hands to his hips as he resisted the urge to rub at his nose. The bleeding had stopped but the dried remnants of bloody flakes were now irritating his nostrils.

"Three, I did ask Jeff to raise my tax request but I only thought to after Chicago not before and he asked about it first, he almost tore my head off for missing the meeting. He was doing me a favour but only because it benefited him as well, he's an extremist happy to hit a blow on the Democrats, you can consider it sneaky of me if you want but I was just using the resources in my party. If I'd been a Democrat doing the same your father would be praising me instead of getting pissed. Fourth, I swear I have never spoken about Colombia with Jeff, I haven't even spoken to him about you yet. Fifth, I wanted to have a nice dinner with your father, that I swear as well, so I'm going to phone Jeff and get this whole matter of Colombia dropped but not the request," he added sternly. "Jeff's got the House poised to pass it, so your father and the president can just blame me for it if it's easier so long as your father agrees to try this again. Cady, my meeting with Josh when we met, he and the Democrats effectively screwed me with my pants on, that's how these things go, this is just business and I would never and will never bring anything personal into it."

Tom saw Cadence ready to protest and held up a gloved hand to silence her. "Finally," he concluded, "I really like you and I'm still hungry and I know you are so I want you to come back to my house and we can get takeaway."

Tom gave a grin as he lowered his hand and waited for Cadence to respond.

Cadence folded her arms as she contemplated her response. "Well Tom, I still wish you hadn't given up your meeting for me but I don't regret our time in the hotel either and I am glad you were there when we went to where Robbie died because I did need someone there, you're right."

She unfolded her arms and confessed, "I am still hungry but I'd feel bad if we didn't say a better goodbye to dad especially since I told him to go back and talk to you. Does he know you're out here?"

"Well he knows I've left, I paid my share," Tom retorted. He glanced over to restaurant entry and saw Leo through the glass doors receiving his coat. "Here he comes," he murmured, unable to keep his dismay from his voice.

After receiving his coat, Leo exited out, frowning as he spied Tom again before he pulled on his coat and caught his daughter's pleading stare.

"Oh alright," Leo grumbled, "your mother says she's having Mallory and Sam for Christmas and I don't want to spend it alone because you're mad at me. So, what should I say?" He turned a stubborn stare on Tom. "I'm not sorry, I had grounds to suspect you were exploiting my daughter for a politician gain, better I raised it now than let things get worse."

"Geez dad," Cadence scorned, "even Toby's apology was better and he mentioned the word doom."

Tom was giving his classic lopsided grin, his anger dissipated from his pale blue stare. "Sir, that is work, this is personal. We need to keep these things separate if we're going to get along and I am keeping them separate and I will continue to do so," Tom vowed.

Leo's expression softened as he thought again of Jenny. He knew she wasn't coming back to him, he had asked for four years then begged even for a few months reconsideration but she couldn't grant him it, he'd spent most of their marriage in politics and she was exhausted with it now.

"It's not that easy La...Tom," he corrected hastily. "I wish it was, I truly do but if you aren't giving a hundred percent to the job then you're failing the people."

Tom's smile widened. "That's true of every job but you've got to draw a line between your job and your life. The American people understand we're human, granted there's some doubt over us Republicans but I can assure you I was born in a hospital like anyone else and not hatched from some demon's egg," he jested.

Leo looked at him oddly whilst Cadence gave a small smile. "You're odd for a congressman," Leo murmured.

"It's been said," Tom retorted.

Tom offered out a gloved hand to Leo. "I would really love to try this again sir, only not as congressman and Chief of Staff, as Cadence's boyfriend and father."

Leo grimaced at the word 'boyfriend' but feeling Cadence's compelling stare upon him he accepted the hand in his own. "I'm not sure that will be better," he admitted. "I'm of the belief that no man is good enough for either of my girls. On that, Democratic or Republican, you and Sam Seaborn are on equal territory."

Leo smiled at the unease that crept across Tom's face. He released his hand and looked at his daughter. "Can we agree we will do Christmas Day together then?" he queried.

"We're ordering in, right?" Cadence queried dubiously.

"Of course, unless you've learned to cook and not told me?"

Cadence grinned. "Nope. My apartment or your hotel?"

"Cady, do you even have to ask?"

Cadence pouted slightly as she raised her hands to her hips. "You don't have a tree."

"Neither do you."

"You won't get carollers."

"Neither will you, you'll get robbers."

"We call them beggars dad and they ask first."

"In your neighbourhood, I doubt that," Leo scorned.

Cadence shook her head before relaxing her stance. "Well Tom and I are going to get takeaway since, you know, we haven't actually had dinner yet. Do you want-"

"Oh God no," Leo interrupted. He glanced to Tom again. "Nothing personal but another day. I'll get something at the hotel."

Tom nodded. "Well goodnight Mr McGarry."

Leo sighed. "Call me Leo, you're making me feel old with that, which reminds me, how old are you?"

Tom's eyes widened slightly and Cadence let out a nervous giggle.

Suddenly suspicious, Leo's blue gaze flitted between the pair. "What? How old is he?" he demanded as he gestured to Tom with one hand.

"Dad that's rude," Cadence scorned.

"No it's not." Leo turned to face Tom. "Is it rude? It seems a perfectly reasonable question. You know my daughter is twenty-three, right?"

Tom swallowed hard before nodding. "I do sir."

"Leo," Leo corrected him, "call me Leo."

"I'm thirty-eight," Tom confessed.

"Call me sir," Leo retorted sharply as his blue gaze widened. His mouth parted and he gaped at Cadence. "Cady, that's it," he jerked his hands up and down sharply, "I'm going to kill Josh Lyman. I am, he did this."

Leo paced off towards the valet. "Yeah, get me a car," he began ordering.

"Should I..." Tom trailed off, having no idea what to say.

Cadence smiled and shook her head. "Let him go, he's going to need a few days but he'll be fine, I promise."

"I'm not so sure. What do you think bothers him more, my political beliefs or my age?"

"Hmm definitely your political beliefs, you're older than Sam you know and he's dating Mallory who's older than me by four years."

"That...that wasn't comforting." Tom cocked his head to glance at Cadence. "Was that meant to be comforting?" he pried.

The pair were still facing Leo, making sure he got a car safely.

"No," Cadence retorted cheerfully.

It didn't take long before a private car appeared for Leo. Cadence and Tom got their own soon after, heading for Tom's house. When they arrived, Cadence wasn't all that surprised to find it was a large townhouse, one of many in Capitol Hill.

"I thought you lived in an apartment," Cadence accused as they headed up to the ornate, brick houses.

"Well I do somewhat," Tom murmured, "I mean I've only got the ground floor."

"That doesn't make it an apartment," Cadence scorned as they scaled the black iron steps.

Tom keyed a pin code to unlock the main door before hunting out his keys. They bypassed brass marked letter boxes in a spotless, brightly lit lobby before he led them down to a heavy, brown door on the right. He used two different keys in separate locks before opening the door, flicking on a light and waving Cadence in.

Cadence's mouth parted in a slight 'o' at the sight of the elegant hallway before she looked again to Tom accusingly. "You're definitely a snob."

"How?" he demanded.

Cadence pointed to the wooden stand waiting against an ovular table with legs engraved in leaves and vines. "You have a coat stand."

"It could be a hat stand."

"That's worse."

Tom gazed back at her in protest. "How is that worse?" he demanded.

"Who wears hats these days? Or would own more than one hat for that matter?"

Tom grinned as he relocked the door. "Someone who's bald and doesn't like winter. Anyway, do you want to use it for your coat?"

"Well I don't want to confuse it, if it's a hat stand," Cadence countered as she smiled warmly at him.

Tom reached out and tapped the tip of her nose lightly with one fingertip. "And everyone keeps saying I'm odd."

Cadence reached up a hand to run through his short dark hair, which had been gelled down for the evening. "You are odd Tom."

Tom gave her a quick kiss before stepping back to unbutton his coat. "Come on then, coats off and I'll give you the tour."

"Can you give it in one night?" Cadence continued to tease as she tugged off her coat.

Tom dipped his head to hide his grin.

Once their coats were off, Tom took Cadence by the hand and led her through to a room on the right.

Cadence was awe-struck as Tom turned on the main light and she took it in. It was cosy, lacking windows and with only a single door in and out of it, it should've been claustrophobic but its main feature brought a welcome sense of tranquillity to it. Set in a back wall in lieu of a television was a large, aquatic tank that glowed with a peaceful turquoise light. Bobbing amongst colourful coral, pale sand and neat sprouts of emerald green seaweed were four seahorses.

Cadence stepped by the coffee table to marvel at the sea creatures with wide eyes. She resisted the urge to push up against the glass before she turned to survey the rest of the room.

There was a bookshelf set in one wall with a collection of books on varying topics both political and Virginia State oriented. Another shelf had some spaced out ornaments- an old, cracked Chessie, a snow-globe of Virginia with the slogan 'For Lovers' within, a model of a boat with 'Chesapeake Bay' painted on its side and other trinkets that related to the city and its state. There were also photographs in various frames, old and faded, taken with cameras now derelict, the colour bleached from exposure and the figures slightly blur from a lack of proper focus.

Cadence was drawn to the photographs, suddenly curious about the people in Tom's life. Her family was an open book to him thanks to circumstance but she knew little to nothing about his save for the sombre disclosure at the White House dinner that his parents and sister were deceased.

Cadence smiled as she spied Tom in one, youthful with wilder looking hair. He stood in a white t-shirt and shorts, some beautiful water scene behind him and a young woman with hair as dark as his caught in the wind, smiling and cradling a baby.

"Your sister and nephew?" Cadence made it a query as she turned to Tom and gestured to the photo.

He nodded and winced slightly as he smelled fresh blood. "This is home," he said softly as he gestured to the room. "My spot away from the world." He pinched his nose slightly before lowering his hand and giving Cadence a serious stare. "It can be your spot too," he offered. "It's nice to have a spot."

"I shouldn't take yours," Cadence murmured as she stepped away from the photographs. She had gathered that Tom wasn't going to talk about them tonight.

"I'm happy to share."

Tom stepped up to her and took her by the hand again. He pulled her down to the only couch in the room, a comfortable two seater with a large, woollen blanket resting on the back. The blanket was old and despite being clean carried an old musty scent that came from age and wouldn't be shaken. It had loose threads and tattered ends and the pattern of sea shells and starfish against a deep blue were a little wonky.

"My mom made it," Tom admitted quietly as he saw Cadence looking at it. "I noticed you have one in your living room."

Cadence smiled at him. "From home, it wasn't made by anyone I know but Mallory and I would always cuddle under it when it was really cold and we were watching t.v together."

Tom nodded as his mouth curled up in a brief smile. "It keeps this spot cosy."

Cadence saw the troubled woe that darted through the congressman's eyes and watched as his hand darted up to his nose again. She reached out to him, slipping her hands under his arms and drawing herself into him in a hug.

Tom sighed as he reached his hands up to complete the hug. "I told you I'd have my problems to," he reminded her.

"It's not a problem," Cadence argued. "It's just part of what makes you, you and we'll get to it when you're ready. This is your spot remember? No politics, no problems, just peace, have I got it right?"

Tom chuckled. "Yes."

Cadence tilted her head up to look at him and stretched up to give him a deep kiss. "Peace and relaxation right?" she quipped as she reached with both hands for the button at his trousers.

Tom nodded eagerly. "Yep, definitely relaxation." He pushed his hands through her fair hair and gave her another kiss. "I've got to keep having these crazy dinners with you, they always end so well for me," he joked as he grinned at her.