Cadence McGarry entered the Vice President's office slowly. Nerves had her trying to delay what she had come here to do. It was expected of course, the news had been out for a few days now and this was just a formality but it made things final and that was the hard part.

Cadence was going to Chesapeake City, Virginia in two weeks despite everyone's protests. Her father had been outraged and ready to have Tom's head on a platter until the president had talked him down. President Bartlet had informed Cadence that he was quietly impressed with Tom's actions and that he believed an extended stay in Chesapeake would be good for her. Cadence knew he was sincere but she felt there was another meaning to his words too, a hope that keeping her and Zoey apart for a while might keep them safe. The attackers were all rounded up now but Cadence didn't want to know anything about it and neither did Zoey. Neither woman felt any safer for it.

John was seated at his desk writing, kept busy with a clutter of open files, books, and documents. He glanced up and for a moment his dismay was evident on his face before he covered it for a calm indifference.

"You printed it," he commented bluntly as he nodded to the sheet of paper clenched in her hands.

"I did."

Cadence approached his desk and set the sheet down on it. "My resignation sir."
John stared up at her and frowned. "Is that it?"

Cadence nodded. "It's final this time," she added with a faint smile.

John's frown deepened and he slammed his pen down suddenly with enough force for it to bounce on the wood before it rolled through the sheets of paper. He stood up from the desk and stepped round it quickly, putting himself close beside her.

"After everything we've had and shared you leave with a lousy sheet of paper and that's it."

Cadence frowned back at him even as she tried to consciously take a step back. She could feel the heat of his body and was almost overwhelmed by the scent of his oak and amber aftershave as it wafted through her nostrils and took her back to so many pleasant but forbidden moments between them.

"John, what do you want from me?" she queried weakly.

"I want you to stay, you know that," he said firmly as he gestured his hand out to her. "I've offered you reduced hours, ad hoc days if you want it, leave, whatever the hell it takes." He shook the hand downwards in a firm gesture. "Damn it Cady I only got you back in my life, I missed you and I don't want you out of it again."

"That isn't fair John," she snapped at him as anger budded in her eyes.

"No," John pointed at her angrily as his cerulean stare became heated, "what isn't fair is him taking you away from your life and having you give up your career to run off with him."

"What career?" she demanded savagely as her voice grew in decimals and almost became a yell. She gestured outwards with both hands. "I've done nothing except get myself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons!"

John held up a hand in protest. "Cady don't, you're just feeling sorry for yourself and he's letting you! You got me great publicity and points, you mastered so many public events for me and," his voice took on a serious tone as he leaned down to her, "you have done more for my relationship with the president than anyone else and that I will admit to publicly if you need me to."

Cadence turned her head away from him as she shrugged. "Fine John, so I did a good job sometimes but look what the job's done to me." She shuddered. "I know," she added quietly, "it's not the job really, you've said that before. It didn't cause Colombia, that happened when I was on a break and it didn't cause.." She fell silent, unable to say it and swallowed hard. "Well that was being with Zoey. Not that I blame her," she added hastily.

John's expression turned serious as he reached to her lightly with one hand. When she flinched as his fingertips brushed against her chin he tensed slightly.

"Cady I can't pretend to understand what happened to you," he said softly as he turned her head back to face him. "I can't, you haven't told me much about it and even if you did let me in I probably still wouldn't have much to relate about it but Cady that doesn't mean I can't help you with it. I told you to call me any time, you having a boyfriend doesn't mean you can't share with me."

"It means exactly that," Cadence responded angrily as she yanked her chin free from his hand. "You made it that way when you told him that you and I had...been in a relationship."

John's lip creased into a line as his expression turned sheepish. "Alright I messed up with that, I was jealous so sue me. Even when he took a loss in the House he was still so stupidly happy because he was with you and I understood that because I'm happy with you and I hated someone else having that."

"Well fuck John," Cadence cursed at him, "you're married so I can't have you and now you get how it feels."

John raised his eyebrows slightly at this. "Well Cady I do get it, I always got it but I was married when we met. You knew that and you knew I wanted the presidency, I still do and I thought you understood, I can't have a divorce in the middle of a campaign."

Cadence waved him off. "John I didn't come here to squabble about this. Can we leave on peaceful terms?"

"No Cady because you shouldn't be leaving. Take time off, have a vacation, you've more than earned it, take the time to see a shrink but don't quit damn it. Why do you need to quit? Why can't you just take leave and then come back?"

He put his arms about her, resting the palms against the wooden edges of the desk and only when she felt her back against the desk did Cadence realised he had manoeuvred her there. She suppressed a sudden flashback of him hoisting her up there before he unwound her stockings. He was too close again and the heat of his body was causing the hairs on her skin to stand upright.

"John, I can't, this life puts me in danger and I can't cope with it. I just need away from it."
John turned an intense stare down upon her. "Alright, tell me then that you can leave and not miss me or think of me."
"John you know I can't," she protested.

"Tell me you really think Landis is the one for you."

"I love him John," she said as she frowned at him again. "He's there for me, he puts me first."

"He's sly, it's a good move giving up his career for you, I'll give him credit for that but what the hell career did he have anyway? He was getting forced out anyhow, he just found a way to make it look impressive to you."

SLAP!

John was startled by the surprisingly forceful blow of Cadence's palm against his right cheek. He reeled back in shock as his skin stung with the sudden shock of it and immediately blazed red.

Cadence held the offending palm to her mouth as she looked shocked at her own gesture.

John's mouth curdled into a bitter smile as he let his hands drop to his sides and took a step back before facing her again..

"Cady I know you think I'm being petty but if I didn't care for you I wouldn't say anything. I wouldn't argue this hard for you to stay with me if I didn't care. I didn't mean to fall so deeply for you, I've said that before but I did and it's messy and complicated but you know when we're together it feels right."

Cadence didn't notice when John took a step back towards her again.

"It feels exciting," he said softly, "and passionate. With you I feel alive," he reached out his right hand to stroke her hair lightly, "and I feel happy." His hand slipped through her hair strands to stroke her neck gently.

Cadence felt her mouth turn dry as John's fingertips brushed against her skin lightly, his touch was so faint it was a tease that sent a thrill through her.

"I know you feel it too Cady. We have always been good together, you're the only person I feel free with."

Cadence flinched when John's mouth pressed against hers. For a moment she closed her eyes and hated herself for the enjoyment she felt with the gesture. John's kiss became more fervent as his free hand reached up her skirt, sliding up her inner thigh and drawing a shudder from her.

She pulled back from him and let out a groan as his hand reached her panties and slid behind the silk.

"John no," she protested, "please."

Tears budded at Cadence's eyes as she turned a pleading stare up to him. "I can't have you but I can have Tom and I do love him, God I do. Don't have me do this on him."

"Cady, you're leaving me, maybe this is the last time you can have me," John murmured as he slid his fingertips inside her. "He can have you after." John kissed her again. "No one has to know." John smiled down at her. "We'll call it farewell. All you've been through don't you deserve some happiness? Some real happiness Cady, not whatever fairytale crock he's offering. I know you feel it with me because I feel it with you. It's miserable with Suzanne, always has been, there's no spark. You'll understand that in time I think, you're still young yet but he's older, he knows and he's hoping you don't find out."

Cadence shook her head even as another moan of pleasure escaped her.

John paused and his hand began to pull away slowly. "Cady I won't do anything if you really don't want me to," he said kindly.

Cadence clenched her hands on the edge of the desk. "Oh fuck you John," she snarled as she pulled herself up awkwardly to sit on the desk. "Let's just do it then but it's over after. The resignation is final, I'm going."

John nodded with a sombre stare as he extended his hand up between her thighs again. "Cady I hope it's not true but I hope you find your peace too, that you can find a way to work with your demons. God knows I'm still figuring out mine. When you work it out, come back. There will still be a job here for you, you're talented and you deserve to have a career."

"Don't talk," Cadence murmured.

John smiled at this. "Alright."

With his free hand he reached inside a gap between her buttons in her shirt, reaching to cup a breast. His smile widened as she shuddered when he pushed a finger over the edge of her lace bra to tease a nipple into hardness.

Let Tom try and take her, John knew she'd come back to him, she already had once so was it unfathomable to think she wouldn't come back again? She'd realise the Republican was old for her, washed up and a boring bastard. John felt a frown creep up on him as he considered that maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part.

Cadence thought bitterly that it was one final mess to make. Maybe after this she could finally close the door on John Hoynes and get on with her life. She would start anew with Tom in Chesapeake, clean slate then. It was wrong to still want John but she could never quite quash that side of her. When she away from him it would be easier, her mind would be clearer. She thought of the violence inflicted upon her and tensed again as she wondered if it was a cruel sort of karma. She had screwed a married man so the world had screwed her right back and yet she hadn't learned, here she was, one final sin, one first and last betrayal against the man she loved with the other man she loved. God help her it was true, she still loved John Hoynes.


Fifty chapters and we are finally at the end! I've kept it open ended on purpose, I have a sequel in mind if anyone is interested. To all who've stuck with me for this long (good grief 50 chapters), thank you very much. Honestly, how could I end this any other way? :-)

A Happy New Year to you all!