May - 4 months after the Assassination

6:30 A.M. (Eastern Time)

Leo had always been an early riser.

Military training, fatherhood, high pressure jobs, including the White House, required an early start. If he'd wanted to start sleeping later, now would be an opportunity. The work he was doing now, synthesizing requests for Abbey, as well as beginning early discussions about the Bartlet Presidential Library typically took place between 9 and 5 eastern time. In the future, there would be meetings with prospective donors, a site to select, as well as curation conversations.

Legal decisions would need to be made. The Bartlet administration had navigated some uncertain territory - Jed's multiple sclerosis disclosure was unprecedented. As a result, the president had been censured by Congress. Protecting Jed's legacy was a long term effort. Protecting Abbey's sanity was a priority in the short term.

Leo mulled over the priorities, memories of his friend and more chaotic thoughts during early morning walks through the property. He used the time to collect his thoughts before Abbey woke up - to center himself as best he could. Sometimes, Abbey's dog, Scout, followed him along as he navigated the trails. Scout would sometimes take off into the woods chasing a rabbit, but would faithfully return - giving Leo the company he needed, without taxing him conversationally.

It was during one of these walks that Leo's phone rang. Unusual for some to call this early - even more unusual for his phone to show Fitz's number.

Leo stopped in his tracks.

"Fitz?"

"Leo, we got 'em"

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and Leo felt the world spin for a moment. He found a rock to lean on, as he tried to clear his head. This wasn't a secure line. But, Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Fitzwallace was obviously giving him a head's up, there would be an onslaught of people arriving, probably within minutes.

"Okay, thanks."

He was about a half a mile away from the farmhouse.

Leo took off at a jog, hoping he'd get there before chaos ensued. Scout perked up and chased him down the trail. As Leo jogged past the meadow, the paddock and finally the barn, he spied the state police lights in the driveway. The Secret Service was out in force, posting additional sentries around the property. Making his way up to the house, he saw the lights in Abbey's bedroom window.

Getting the dog in the house, Leo made his way up two flights of stairs and knocked on Abbey's door. He found her sitting on the bed in her nightgown, the phone in her hands. Quickly, Leo found her bathrobe and helped her put it on. Then, he sat down and put his arm around her.

"They said someone would call soon…" Abbey said absently.

Leo suspected lots of "someone's" would also be showing up on the farm.

Abbey had made some progress over the past few months, starting to put one foot in front of the other. She certainly kept her promise, helping him to navigate the medications from his injuries and keeping him from a relapse. She'd even gamefully taken the stitches out of his side, taking over his care seamlessly. But, now Abbey was in danger of back-sliding. How could she not?

Leo remained silent and rubbed her shoulder.

He had no details about what they'd hear today. He was as much in the dark as Abbey. His days in the Situation Room, watching a military operation, were over. The fact Fitz had called meant however the operation had played out, it had occurred within the last twenty minutes. Leo was obviously not the first communication, but Fitz clearly prioritized him.

Outside the window, Leo saw two military vehicles coming up the driveway. Clearly, they were locking down the farm - making sure Abbey had extra security.

Then, the phone rang, and Abbey put it on speaker.

"Abbey?" President Bob Russell's voice came over the phone. "I'm sorry to wake you. But, I wanted to let you know as soon as possible."

Leo felt Abbey stiffen, as though bracing herself for a blow.

"At 5:27 this morning, eastern time, the FBI located a Qumari terrorist cell, known to be responsible for President Barlet's assassination. The individuals involved were hiding out in a condemned apartment building in Detroit. They were given the option to surrender, but chose to resist. By 5:45, our operatives breached the building and neutralized the terrorists. Admiral Fitzwallace will be arriving in Manchester later this morning to go over the details."

"Thanks Bob," Abbey mustered, tears beginning to fall down her face.

Leo put both arms around his long time friend, pulling Abbey close and letting her cry into his chest.

None of this information brought Jed back for Abbey - the details wouldn't matter to her. Leo felt no pleasure at their deaths - it was all collateral damage. He hung his head, thinking of the young military personnel, who would come to their own ends, continuing the fight on foreign soil. This was a huge escalation in a long conflict to come with Qumar. Young men and women fighting and dying in old men's wars. The faces of his friends he'd met in Vietnam, whose lives were cut short, flashed before him. And, for years, Jed seemed so removed from this part of his life - Leo, grateful Jed and his family were protected from it. Now, his best friend's face flashed among the others - another life cut short.

Before long, Leo realized his tears were mingling with Abbey's.

10:02 AM

"Thank you for coming, Admiral," Abbey's expression was absent as she gathered herself up. Looking elsewhere, she finished in a daze, "I hope you have a safe trip back to the capital."

Helping Abbey with her chair, Leo then watched her leave the room. He debated whether or not to follow..

Admiral Percy Fitzwallace stood respectfully."Yes, Ma'am,"

Leo glanced over at Fitz and back at the stairway Abbey had just climbed. Sighing, he decided to give Abbey a little time. It had been a lot to take in. He took a seat again at the Bartlet kitchen table and motioned for Fitz to sit down across from him.

Looking at Fitz, Leo wondered how many times had they sat across from each other in the Situation Room? The world on the brink of chaos - lives in the balance. Now, as Leo fingered the edge of Abbey's buffalo plaid tablecloth, he felt numb, remembering so many crises, so many decisions they'd made together.

He must have zoned out for a bit.

"Nice beard," Fitz's words brought him back to the here and now.

"Uh… thanks…" Leo replied.

"Are you using a special trimmer?" Fitz pressed, with a twinkle in his eye, obviously trying to get a rise out of him.

"Naw… it just grows this way."

Truth be told, Leo's hands had been so shaky for the first few weeks after the shooting, he hadn't dared touch a sharp object. After that, he hadn't really thought much about it.

"Well, I like it. It fits you. It makes your face look rugged and professorial."

"I like to look good for you…" Leo rolled his eyes, finally catching on to his friend's teasing..

Fitz downed the rest of the coffee Leo offered him earlier.

"Seriously, Leo, how is she doing?"

Leo trusted Fitz as much as he trusted anyone. Few men had as much integrity as Joint Chief Admiral Percy Fitzwallace - he was a presence wherever he went. Yet, Leo felt protective of sharing too much about Abbey. She had pulled the curtain shut on her public life for now, and she was trusting him to protect her privacy.

"You know, Fitz," Leo diverted. "You've done notifications before. It's hard to hear who was responsible for your loved one's death… This is really going to escalate things with Qumar, isn't it?"

Fitz paused at Leo's statement and looked at him quizzically.

"Well, you knew Qumar had claimed responsibility? You were with me in the Situation Room when the communication came through."

Leo met Fitz's gaze and then looked away. He had absolutely no recollection of ever having had that information.

"Naw," he replied simply.

Fitz shifted in his chair, "Leo, you were sitting right next to me…"

Leo felt Fitz's growing confusion. It only added to his own sense of trepidation. Not only had he lost the 24 hours prior to waking up in the hospital - he'd lost time afterwards as well.

Finally, Leo decided honesty was the best policy.

"I don't remember," Leo said softly, looking down at the floor.

He didn't want Fitz to worry about him. Worse, he didn't want Fitz to think he was brain damaged. These things happened - Fitz had his own battle scars.

"Have you been seeing someone?" Fitz asked. "Have you seen a neurologist? It sounds like your memory loss is not resolving. It's okay, if that's so. But, you might want to be sure no one missed anything."

Leo considered this a moment. "Oh… well, you know Abbey. She had me in at Mass General Hospital in Boston for a second opinion. No one's worried about anything - I just can't remember some things."

"Is it only from that week?" the Navy Admiral pressed, obviously concerned.

"Kinda' hard, Fitz," Leo favored him with a crooked grin. "You don't know what you don't know..."

"But, it's all related to…" Fitz continued.

"Yeah… yeah… " Leo wanted to wrap this up.

It was good seeing his longtime friend, Leo thought. He'd missed Fitz. Knowing him as Leo did, the man had a dozen burning issues waiting from just the last half hour. For a Joint Chief to take the morning to fly up to New Hampshire, just to speak with Abbey personally, must have taken an extraordinary amount of calendar shuffling. But, that was Fitz. He was always a class act.

"I know you gotta get back," Leo said, standing up, walking Fitz to his car.

Outside, the young naval lieutenant driver looked pale. Obviously, he didn't expect to be driving Joint Chief of Staff Percy Fitzwallace around the back roads of New Hampshire today. In New Hampshire, they were lucky to get a Blue Angels flyover every four years.

Fitz grasped Leo's hand, "You take care now, Leo. Don't be a stranger."

"Thanks for coming, Fitz. It meant a lot to Abbey."

The big admiral paused, just as he was getting into the vehicle. He looked back at Leo. Finally, the admiral asked what had obviously been on his mind, "You ever comin' back?"

"Whaddya' mean?"

"You don't look right now like a man who is planning on coming back… You have a lot to offer, Leo… A lot of good you can still do…"

Leo looked past Fitz's shoulder at the paddock and the barn. Scout was running up the road with a tennis ball in her mouth. She'd obviously been out for a walk with the farm foreman.

As a golden retriever, Scout's favorite game was fetch. Reaching down absently to take the ball from the dog's mouth, Leo threw it for her, considering Fitz's words. He watched Scout take off joyfully after the tennis ball. Then, something pulled at Leo, urging him to turn around and look at Abbey's bedroom window.

He didn't have the strength or inclination to think about anything beyond Mallory... beyond Jed's family… There just wasn't much left of him for anything else.

"I got a lot to do here right now," Leo answered.

"Yeah?" Fitz pushed a little harder.

"Yeah." Leo confirmed.

"Okay... Just take care of yourself…. take care of them... take care of her..."

FItz got into the back of his vehicle, and the nervous young naval lieutenant jumped behind the wheel of the car.

Leo watched the official US Navy sedan make its way toward the farm gates. Scout leaned up against him, hoping for another round of fetch. Sighing, he scratched the dog around the ears, and Scout followed him dutifully as Leo went to find Abbey.