John Hoynes was stoic faced as he was interrupted. Although part of him appreciated the interruption the fact that it had come on Christmas Day made him a little apprehensive. He was in the Naval Observatory playing host to his children and a few 'close political friends' of his wife's choosing. It was a farce and John didn't know whether to be grimly amused or annoyed by the display his wife had put on. The entire building was decked out for the season, a pointless and vulgar show of their wealth as naturally the decorations were designer, on show for the month and showcased in every article Suzanne could manage before she packed them up, never to be reused because Suzanne would never be accused of repeating a style. Then there was the help, the employed staffers of the Vice President's domain roped in to work on Christmas Day of all days to assist with the cooking, the serving of the dishes and showing up a general presence of management in the household. Add John's ever present Secret Service guard and the idea of an intimate Christmas together with family had gone right out the window.
"It's a phone call for you sir," the woman explained politely as she approached John in his seat by the fireplace. "Work." Her voice was hushed as if she was fearful of disclosing something important.
John arched his dark eyebrows at this as he tried to think of the woman's name, hell he wasn't even sure of her exact job title. Well it couldn't be anyone in his team ringing, they knew better so that left Jed's. Had something happened? He couldn't recall seeing anything on the news the few times he'd glimpsed it but maybe it hadn't gotten that far.
John nodded as he stood. "I'll take it in the study."
Ignoring his wife's look of ire, John excused himself politely from the room of quiet drinks, gossip and a muted show of some Christmas movie on the television. The day was done, it was coming up to half nine in the evening and his patience for everyone to leave was wearing thin. The morning had been nice, he'd admit to that, Suzanne had been merry and eager to play the doting wife and had given him an early gift in bed. By lunch the merry mask had started to crack and the real Suzanne poked through as she spent her time performing for her friends and forwent her husband's side.
John headed into the study, frowning momentarily at the collection of pines trees on display before he closed the door tightly behind him, plucked up the phone and waited for the woman to hang up the phone she had lifted.
Every time he entered this room now he thought of making love to Cadence on the soft, cream carpet before a roaring fire. He was bitter that he only had one memory of her here, he had thought the sex pleasurable enough to earn a second attempt but despite his best efforts Cadence had shut him down.
"Vice President Hoynes," John said coolly, letting his tone make it clear that he was irked at the disturbance.
"Oh to hell with you and that title," Cadence's drunk slurs answered. "You're just John tonight. John the relationship fucker upper."
"What?" John was too baffled to be angry at the cursing. He pulled a puzzled face at the receiver as it took a moment for him to realise just who was yelling at him.
"Why did you do it?" she demanded unhappily. "Why did you wreck everything with me and Tom? What is it," she hiccuped, "you're unhappy so I have to be too? It wasn't fair of you, it wasn't! I was happy damn it! Do you get that?" Another hiccup. "Damn do you care? I want to be with Tom," a sob slipped out with the next hiccup, "and he looked at me like a whore. Your whore," she hissed out hatefully.
John finally realised what Cadence was talking about. He was calm as he answered her even as concern crept up him. "Cady you're drunk, where are you?" John glanced at his watch. "It's only half nine."
"Oh whatever," she snapped. "I'm alone, isn't that what you care about? What you wanted?" she demanded savagely. "You told him about us, Christ John why?" Another sob escaped her. "I can't be with you so I can't be with him either? I couldn't keep Robbie or Benny. Am I meant to be alone?" She giggled this time but the bitter manner of it set John's teeth on edge.
"Cadence where are you?" he demanded in a serious tone as he cradled the receiver close.
"Seeing some lights and faking smiles. It's all fake in this world. I wasn't gonna call, I wasn't doing this but you deserve to know what you've done. You want me miserable and alone fine, I am. Merry fucking Christmas John."
John flinched as he heard the clatter of a receiver before the line went dead. "Damn it to hell," he muttered a curse to himself.
John glanced at his watch again before raised a hand up to his brow to push at the budding tenseness there. Guilt and worry had filled him as he wondered where she might be in that state. He had some vague recollection of Leo talking about plans to spend Christmas Day with Cadence so he figured she was probably in D.C. What had he expected? For Landis to swallow the confession and opt for secrecy? Well no, John had just hoped the man would slink off wordlessly and leave Cadence alone, to have confronted her and on Christmas Day of all days seemed like a nasty move.
John didn't know what to do now, to involve anyone else was risky. If he contacted Leo, Leo would wonder how John could know Cadence was drunk and if John admitted Cadence had dialled him the question would be- why? John was concerned but self-preserving too and unwilling to bring that sort of risk upon himself.
He grimaced, the idea of her out there drunk and in the mental state she was in wasn't something he could ignore either.
Cadence ended the call and retreated from the payphone feeling angrier that when she had started the call. Her head was starting to spin again and she just wanted to be at home yet going home meant being alone with her thoughts. She had been drinking on and off all day, thwarted by the sobering of watchful eyes as she tried to push herself closer to a numb oblivion.
She veered out of the hotel lobby and back to the ballroom for Zoey, heading back to the table Zoey sat at, determined that she was done with the bar. Her mood might be poor but she knew she had to set the example for Zoey.
"Hey Cady, Raquel says there's another light show at the fountains, let's go outside," Zoey said brightly as she saw Cadence rejoin them.
They were at a grand hotel in the city that was playing host to a Christmas lights show. It had involved vibrant displays in both its interior and exterior including animatronics, music and timed displays. The main attraction was its garden maze but Zoey's Secret Service guards had vetoed that. They were satisfied enough with the hotel's security although it was by no means infallible, the fact that it was a hotel automatically made it a risk.
The entire affair was a huge risk as far as Jed was concerned but the hotel was local, reputable and close. The guests and ticket holders were run through fast paced computer checks only the Secret Service and the likes of the F.B.I and C.I.A could possibly have access to and the conclusion was that the general guests tonight were of a high calibre with worthy reputations.
A strict curfew had been set anyway with the promise of hourly call-ins from the Secret Service to base. Zoey wanted normality with her friends but Jed was only willing to bend so far. Although he wouldn't say it when Zoey had informed him that Cadence was accompanying her, he had considered quietly that Cadence presented an additional risk since no one was entirely sure if she bore anymore risk from Colombia because no one was entirely sure what had happened to her there.
Knowing how important the evening was to Zoey, Cadence shrugged off grief and fixed on a bright smile for the youngest Bartlet daughter.
"Sure Zoey, sounds good," Cadence enthused.
Zoey's smile brightened at Cadence's response. She knew Cadence wasn't drinking to embrace the party mode of the evening. Anytime, Zoey had tried to steer the conversation towards Tom during the day, Cadence had been brief or deflective. Zoey couldn't fathom what may have happened between the pair but Cadence wasn't good enough at masking her emotions to hide the flash of grief in her eyes when Tom's name had been mentioned.
Raquel approached the table with a grin and a martini glass in hand. She was a student in one of Zoey's classes. Boisterous and bright, she boasted a slim, tanned and toned body and a flash of choppy, red streaked brunette hair. The outing had been her idea and she had been the one to obtain the tickets.
"Girls, anyone need a toilet break first? I've heard there's a good reindeer scene in the lounge room on the third floor and there are toilets there too," she said happily.
Zoey glanced to Cadence curiously before looking about their table. "Well shouldn't we wait for Macy and Christine?" she quipped.
Raquel waved off Zoey's query. "Don't worry, I told them we were heading for the fountains, they'll meet us there."
"Well I could use the toilet," Zoey confessed.
"What about you Cadence?" Raquel quipped as her brown gaze darted over to the older woman. "You coming with? If you don't need the toilet we can meet you at the fountains too." She gestured to the patio doors with one hand. "They're just out through there and to the left, you follow the snowflake lights. Unless you want to see some flashy reindeer," she added with a smile.
Cadence glanced to the patio doors. She wasn't all that eager to go through crowds for three floors to join queues for the light displays and toilets but she didn't want to have Zoey too far from her. Secret Service or not, Cadence worried not for threats of terrorists but the more common sort that prayed on young college girls- the predators with wandering hands and dosed drinks.
"I'll come with," Cadence said.
The women headed off, accompanied by a group of bodyguards attempting the impossible task of blending in with the the guests without losing their target. They didn't want to draw attention to Zoey otherwise the party goers might look closely at her, recognise her and draw more unwanted attention to her. Yet if they hung too far back they might lose her in the crowds and that would unforgivable.
Raquel hurried them along, babbling happily about reindeer and promising that the fountain display would be worth seeing. She chattered quickly, barely pausing for breath or giving Cadence or Zoey a chance to retort. They became so caught up in conversation that neither Zoey nor Cadence even noticed she hastened them into an elevator unaccompanied until the doors were already shut and it was halfway up to the first floor.
Cadence frowned. "We'll have to wait when we get out here," she cautioned.
"What do you mean?" Raquel queried with a puzzled glance.
Cadence blinked and rubbed at her eyes to ease the blurriness at the edges. Raquel was standing at the doors, slightly at an angle so her back was to the buttons. Cadence didn't know why but the positioning bothered her.
"For Zoey's friends," Cadence retorted calmly, her voice barely audible over the merry Christmas music coming through the speakers.
Zoey looked startled at this and flushed slightly as only with Cadence's words did she realise her mistake. She could envision the guards cursing at the closed elevator doors and charging up the stairs probably pushing people out of the way and making it all too obvious that they were bodyguards.
"They know we're going to the fountain," Raquel insisted as the elevator passed the first floor.
Cadence shook her head, wincing as she felt a slight pounding at the back of her skull. "Not those friends."
Raquel flashed a smile and looked to Zoey. "Well if you have to but honestly Zoey, the hotel is full of security, it's perfectly safe."
Cadence continued to frown, certain there was something she was missing. Something that might be clearer if her head wasn't so fogged with alcohol. Her eyes darted up to the lights at the top indicating the floors but it was a blur that made her head ache. She thought she glimpsed a two.
The frantic call came through just after eleven. Everything after that happened in a wild, chaotic fashion. No one had expected it and though many had practised for it still the panicked uncertainty came. There was a scramble for action, to get those that needed informed, reached ASAP, which was no easy task given it was the later hours of Christmas Day, and to try and keep it sealed up from everyone else.
Josh Lyman was awake when he got the call, sitting in his living room trying to ignore what had been a long day, dull save for the events of the morning. He had been contemplating sleep and when he answered the phone he half-wondered if he was having a dream.
"Josh, Zoey and Cadence are missing," it was Leo, frantic as he addressed his second, professionalism lost for the fears of a father, "and two Secret Service agents have been murdered!"
"I'll be right there," Josh stammered out an answer as he tried to digest the news.
Leo ended the call immediately whilst Josh puzzled over what had happened. He had a hundred questions to ask and didn't even know where to start. He just made himself move, called for a car and then called Toby to give him the news. Toby was mercifully at home although he didn't answer until the fifth ring. He'd been a sleep, trying to put a day of cliches behind him and he was no more ready for the shocking news than Josh had been.
The trip to the West Wing was a blur for Josh. It wasn't just another day at the office or even one of the uncommon but not rare night shift calls, the kind that came when the threat of war came during the night as soldiers had been killed overseas or submarines had gone missing and everyone was in a frantic rush to tried and sort it before sun up came to America because no one wanted the morning papers to read 'War on the Horizon'.
The sky was heavy with the black that only came on a winter's night, there was a cold mist to the air and hidden patches on ice on the roads and pavements. The music and fanfare had settled, dinners had ended, celebratory drinks been put away and most of this side of the continent that made up the United States of America were asleep or heading towards it, drifted off on full stomachs carried to happy dreams on that rush of magical merriment that came with the festive season. Toby was right, it was a cliché, sickening at times, overdone certainly and commercialised to the point of the meaning almost being lost but on the other side of the coin the warmth, happiness and love shared for the day was a thing to be envied as well. Family time, Josh hadn't had enough of it before tragedy had taken his sister away and turned his household grim. No holiday or weekend gathering had ever been the same since, her absence was always noticeable no matter how many years crept by.
Josh didn't want to think so negatively given the circumstances but as he headed through an increased security at the White House, negative thoughts and puzzlement were all he had. When Toby arrived with his own doom and gloom fifteen minutes later, Josh's feelings of concern only grew.
"Well, what have you learned?" Toby snapped at him as he paced into the eerily quiet West Wing offices where he had been advised Josh was. "Why aren't you with them?"
Josh glanced over at Toby numbly. He had headed for the Oval Office but it was absent as was Leo's office. They were in the Situation Room as if plotting war.
"I can't get to them," Josh confessed, "they're in the Situation Room. I don't know who's in there, no one's around to ask. I haven't even located Charlie yet."
Toby looked a little surprised at this revelation and it was obvious he hadn't thought of Charlie until now. "He was spending the day with his sister," he said quietly.
"Oh." Josh looked surprised too. So often Charlie was at the President's side to the point of being his wake up call and the last person to attend him at night unless the First Lady was in residence that Josh hadn't considered that Charlie might not even be in the White House tonight.
Josh glanced around their surroundings. Dark offices with the blackness of the night pushing against the windows threatening to swallow them up. The lights of the hall they lingered in barely seemed to guard them from the night time shadows and he wondered if Zoey and Cadence were out in the icy dark somewhere.
"I don't even know where they were," Josh admitted tiredly, "or why they were together." He turned a helpless stare over to Toby, needing the more serious man to take charge for a change. "Do you?"
Toby shook his head dismissively. "No, look we need to call Sam and C.J, we need to prepare."
"Prepare for what?" Josh snapped.
Toby jerked his hands down sharply. "For the news," Toby snapped, "it'll leak, there are sirens all over the city, people will have noticed. I passed police trucks, it's not just the normal cars, people will wonder if there's a bomb scare somewhere."
Josh marvelled back at his colleague. "We need more information."
"Well they can help with that, maybe," Toby grumbled as he didn't think C.J or Sam would be able to get information about the situation any better than they could. Toby raised a hand to his chin before dragging it down his beard as he frowned. "Who knows about this?"
"You, me," Josh retorted. "Do you think...I mean should Mallory or Jenny know?" His voice grew quiet as he shrugged uneasily. "I don't...I don't know if Leo's told them. Or if Liz knows but they are bound to have secured her just in case. And..." Josh frowned as he considered the next person and wondered how he would deal with the news given this morning's events. "Tom."
"You can't tell him," Toby dismissed the idea sharply, "we've no facts yet, it just causes chaos and it's risky telling too many people, that's how the press gets wind of things!"
Josh was slightly taken back by Toby's snapped dismissal. "He's her boyfriend," Josh defended. He didn't bother to add the 'maybe', Toby certainly didn't need to know that. "He might know something's wrong anyway if he's been trying to reach her."
"Well the Secret Service or police or whoever the hell deals with these matters can ask him that when they get to it, when he last spoke to her and all the rest of it."
"And the Vice President, he's going to need told," Josh murmured. He wondered just how John would react to the revelation.
Toby nodded with a frown. "Yes, with Zoey involved we might...well hopefully not." Toby couldn't even voice his fears.
Hmm hard to believe I started this fic over a year ago but here we are. I've had this plot line in mind for a few months now, I'm hoping it will actually signal the start of the end of this fic with a sequel in mind, since I've barely even gotten into Season 2 timeline wise and I'd love to have Amy, Ainsley and Jeff appear in the fic and definitely focus on drama of Jed re-running but more from a Hoynes P.O.V. Anyway, that's assuming this latest curve in the plot goes to plan and is received.
It took me ages working this one out, I went through so many scenarios but no matter what it's unrealistic, when it happened to Zoey on the show it was unrealistic considering the Secret Service presence but for the sake of plot I had to bend the realism and hey I've done that through a lot of the fic I'm sure.
