"Sir, why is Cadence McGarry here?" Josh blurted out the question that had been nagging at him since yesterday.
The president glanced up from behind his desk at Josh and offered him a wide, cheerful smile.
"Well Josh, it's a free country you know so why shouldn't she be here?" Jed quipped teasingly.
Charlie, standing on guard beside the doors, bowed his head quickly to conceal his grin at the president's comment.
"No but really sir, why is she here?" Toby demanded bluntly. He gestured outwards with his hands as he paced across the eagle carpeted Oval Office. "I mean are we intentionally trying to sabotage ourselves here? It's a rocky election year so let's trot out the Republican lover."
"Now Toby," C.J interjected calmly, "I don't think we need to bring Cady's relationship status into this."
Toby turned a wide eyed look of disbelief upon the press secretary. "That's exactly what we need to bring into this because everyone else will!"
Jed held up his right hand in a gesture for quiet. "Children," he said gently, "Cadence McGarry is here to see her family and since it's been a while, Leo has extended an invention to her to accompany him to Texas."
"Texas?!" Josh and Toby both spluttered out.
The pair exchanged a look before turning surprised eyes back to the president.
"Charlie does the structure of this room lend itself to an echo?" Jed quipped sardonically as he glanced over to his aide.
Charlie smiled. "It seems like it does today sir," he retorted brightly.
"Sir, you're campaigning in Texas, with the Vice President," C.J stated.
Jed nodded up to her. "Yes, how could I forget that delightful trip? Leo will be there for that wondrous adventure too, can't he bring his daughter to work with him?"
"Maybe if she was four," Josh snorted. He pushed back at his unruly brown curls. "Sir, are you saying she isn't taking part in the Vice's campaign there? I mean are we sure she won't end up swapping cowboy hats with the other side," he added bitingly.
"Well now if she chooses to spend her free time aiding John that would be her personal business," Jed retorted coyly.
"Sir, her boyfriend is running for Senate for the Republicans," Toby snapped.
"Why Toby," Jed mocked with wide eyes, "are you sure? I had no idea!"
Jed stood up and waved his hands out at his team impatiently.
"Cadence supports Tom Landis fully and we respect her choice to do so but she will still vote Democrat at the polls."
Jed cocked his head slightly as his blue eyes danced over each of them in turn.
"We also appreciate that being thrust into the spotlight because of her partner's campaigning is not a position she wanted to be in and she needs a chance to be behind the cameras doing something she loves. We must also acknowledge that Texas isn't looking good for us and it needs to because it might be what sinks this campaign before it even starts."
"Who's we?" Toby queried sharply.
"Leo," Josh answered quietly. He glanced about the room curiously before looking back to the president. "Where is he anyway?"
"With Sam visiting the Vice President," Jed answered calmly. "I had a few notes for our campaign trail that I felt deserved a personal delivery and I believed this conversation was best had without his presence. Hearing things like Republican lover and cowboy hat swapping with the other side might have been ill-received by Leo," he tacked on sardonically.
A grin cracked across Josh's face as he folded his arms. "Wait a minute, you sent Leo, Leo McGarry, the Chief of Staff, on an errand to the Vice President?" he queried mockingly.
"Not an errand," Jed protested with a slight frown. "It was an important message."
Josh shook his head whilst Toby placed a palm to his brow.
"He's going to be pissed," Toby muttered.
"Yep," Josh agreed as his grin widened. "Sir, delivering a message to the V.P is how Leo punishes us."
Jed's brown eyebrows rose slightly at this. "Well that's a little unfair on John, he's not a punishment." Jed's eyebrows sank again as he cocked his head slightly with a thoughtful expression. "Well...not always," he added.
C.J smiled too, her red lipped mouth stretching wide across her face creating deep grooves of mirth down her cheeks.
"I have to agree with Toby sir," she enthused, "Leo is going to be pissed." She folded her arms and fixed a keen blue gaze on her boss. "Back to the matter of Cady, how do you intend to keep this from the press? Surely if it gets out that she's helping the campaign that will be embarrassing for Tom?"
"She's not helping the campaign," Jed insisted, "she's on a father-daughter work trip with Leo. Team, Cadence hasn't had the most pleasant of years and Tom deserves his chance at the senate, it is a pity that he's on the wrong side, but nonetheless we aren't going to sabotage him and we aren't going to let Cadence miss a chance to work on the presidential campaign trail. Public Relations is what she is good at and she enjoys it and frankly John's team needs her."
Jed finally dropped the pretence as his expression turned serious. "I gave Cadence my word on this. She sacrificed a lot for this team and for Zoey," he added quietly. "I want it made right for her, she's been out of the loop for two years, it's time we welcomed her back and if that means privacy and subtlety then so be it."
Jed turned a commanding stare upon the press secretary. "C.J, keep the press out of it. If they ask questions tell them Cadence is taking a break to see her family, and remind them we have Ainsley on our payroll and she's still a Republican. Toby, Josh," Jed arched his eyebrows slightly as he looked to them before concluding with a small smile, "be good."
"Can't we welcome her back next year when we've secured the election?" Toby lamented crossly.
"Toby," Jed responded quietly, "forget who she's dating and consider all the good PR she's done for John in the past, we need that and you know it."
Toby sighed. "Only because the Vice's team are incompetent," he grumbled. "How hard is it to get popularity in your own state?"
Jed cracked a small smile at this but resisted the urge to agree. Although he thought it he knew it wasn't professional to say it and as the leader of the United States of America he had to set the example.
"Right, now you're all up to speed, let's start planning for Texas."
"Tell me we're not sharing planes again," Josh pleaded.
Jed grimaced slightly. "It worked well last time," he retorted grudgingly.
Leo and John faced each other with a stilted calm. Both were seated, separated by John's desk and surrounded by an atmosphere electric with tension.
Sam was standing, glancing from one to the other rapidly. He raised his hand slightly and parted his mouth before swallowing hard and shaking his head as he abandoned the notion to speak.
"So, he wants to share a plane," John repeated dryly.
Leo didn't answer, he was only just keeping a scowl from his face. He leaned back in the chair and folded his arms, crinkling his grey jacket with the movement.
"Yes," Sam jumped in excitedly with a response, too afraid to let the silence resume. He winced slightly when both Leo and John's eyes rolled up to him with scorn. He gave an awkward laugh and nodded. "The president feels it worked very well for us last time and would be symbolic in showing a united front."
John sighed and looked over to Leo with something almost akin to sympathy. "And he needed you to tell me this?"
Leo frowned back at the younger man. "What do you want me to say John? I'm as perplexed about this as you."
John cocked his head up to Sam curiously. "Why is it always you that accompanies people here?" he queried curiously. "Are you really the worst offender?"
Sam looked down to the vice president in bafflement. "Sir?"
John cracked a bitter smile and glanced to Leo before shaking his head. "Never mind Sam. How's Cady?" John pounced upon a more preferable topic.
"Good," Leo admitted. "At the zoo with Mallory visiting that stupid raccoon." He looked back to John calmly. "The one you donated there," he reminded him.
John smiled and gave a small nod. "Lucky," he mused. "Saved from the exterminator, well named."
"Lucky," Leo murmured with disinterest, "did Cady name it? She's always naming those pests. She's two back in Virginia that visit her garden, called them Splodge and Bango or something silly like that."
"Spot and Bandit," John corrected automatically.
The vice realised his error when Leo's grey gaze turned suspicious as he stared back at John with a frown budding at his lips. John retained a calm expression as he explained, "she told me on her birthday."
Leo nodded as he seemed to accept this but a grain of suspicion remained in his pale blue gaze.
John cursed himself internally for his mistake, sure Cadence had told him all about the raccoons but before her birthday although that wasn't the point, it was that he remembered the trivial information and so easily too.
Sam remained hovering feeling more and more awkward as time trickled by. He wanted to sit but was afraid too, it seemed like giving in and submitting to being here for a lengthy time, he figured if he remained on his feet there was always a chance of escape.
"How long did the president tell you, you had to stay here?" John queried calmly.
Leo glanced at his watch, no more interested in pretence than John. "Ten more minutes," he grumbled. "You'd think I had nothing better to do," he added sarcastically.
"No, a visit to the Vice President's domain is just a trivial thing isn't it?" John queried bitterly.
Leo glanced up sharply and for a moment embarrassment flitted through his gaze before he concealed it.
"It's not personal John," Leo murmured.
"No?" John gestured up to Sam with one hand as he lost some of his composure and let Leo see his irritation on his face. "Sam could almost part-time here he's been sent here so often on errands." John gave Sam another scrutinising stare. "Seriously Sam, what is it you do over there to offend everyone?" John looked back to Leo. "Why does he annoy you in particular?"
Sam flustered slightly, mouth open to answer before John reverted his stare back to Leo, acting as if Sam wasn't even there anymore.
"He's dating my daughter," Leo muttered moodily.
"Ah."
"At least I'm not a Republican," Sam murmured sullenly. He looked startled as he saw Leo and John glance his way again. His cheeks darkened a little as he realised he had spoken his thoughts a little louder than intended. "Ah...well...I'm not," he said weakly.
"Sam being the lesser evil does not mean you are not an evil," Leo chided him, "and you did bring a Republican into our midst."
"I thought you liked Ainsley," Sam retorted with a look of surprise.
"I do but she's still a Republican," Leo answered calmly.
"So, apart from sharing a plane did the president have any other desperately important news for you to deliver to me?" John queried sardonically.
"Keep the ego in check John and don't cost us the election, that one's from me," Leo retorted sternly.
"He needs me as much as I need him Leo," John said quietly as he frowned over at the man. "My position should be respected."
Leo leaned back in his seat and nodded. "Alright John," he retorted calmly, "I take your point." He looked around the room and then back to the vice with a grudging glance of gratitude. "You do have a calming presence," he admitted. "That is to say, if I have to squander time somewhere I could have worse company."
John laughed at this. "Apology accepted Leo."
C.J's eyebrows rose slightly as she entered a corridor in the West Wing and saw two familiar figures striding up it. She could almost feel the heated anger building behind her as her two companions took note as well. The five of them halted and the press secretary was suddenly put in mind of the Mexican stand-offs in old Westerns and an inappropriate giggle escaped her.
"Um what's funny?" Josh queried quietly from behind her.
C.J raised a hand to her red glossed lips and shook her head as she tried to banish the smile.
"Oh nothing," she said jovially as she lowered the hand, "just wondering who would have the fastest draw, you or Cady."
"Wait, what?" Josh quipped dumbly as he glanced from Cadence McGarry to C.J. "You mean like Pictionary? Cadence is awful at that, she tried to draw a shark once but gave it some pretty round looking fins, didn't look like a shark that's all I'm saying."
A snort escaped C.J as she tried and failed to hold back her laughter. "What?!" she exclaimed a little too loudly as she glanced back to Josh. "A shark with round fins? No Josh, I was talking about quick draw like with cowboys!"
Cadence raised her arms up, folding them at C.J's remark as she regarded Josh with an unimpressed stare. "That was like five years ago Josh and only you thought it looked like a penis which says more about you than my drawing skills!" she snapped heatedly.
There was a screech as someone slid their wheeled chair hard on the ground, the chaotic voices of office conversation in the West Wing dropped suddenly to a muted murmur and a door was yanked open with enough force to rattle the blinds on it.
"Who is yelling the word penis round here?" Toby called out irately as he peered out into the corridor from his now ajar doorway.
Cadence cocked her head in his direction and offered him a sickeningly sweet smile. "That would be you Toby," she said calmly.
Mallory, who stood beside her sister in an awkward show of camaraderie, smiled and shook her head as Toby's eyes flared with rage.
Toby's dark eyes flitted from Cadence to C.J, Josh, and Simon Donovan who hovered quietly in the background.
"You know what," Toby snapped, "I don't want to know."
Toby stepped back into his office and slammed the door closed.
"Hmm the glass didn't crack," Cadence observed sardonically, "he must be in a good mood, I wonder why."
The young woman turned her stare back to C.J and Josh, very purposefully avoiding Simon as she did.
Mallory looked too, her small mouth tilting down as she puzzled at Simon knowing that he looked familiar yet not knowing why.
"Why are you here?" Josh blurted out rudely. "You should be in the Eisenhower."
"Oookay," C.J murmured quietly, "shots fired." She tilted her head down to Josh and added, "FYI Josh, that's meant to be restricted information. We only had that conversation twenty minutes ago, you were there, you said something stupid about cowboy hats."
Josh gave an odd, awkward smile as he continued looking at Cadence, it came and went in three quick motions giving away his embarrassment immediately.
"We're here to see Sam," Mallory explained, "well I am, Cadence just happens to be with me." She folded her arms too giving Josh a defensive stare, annoyed that she had to explain anything.
"See," Josh paused to rub at his brown curls, "that's actually funny in a way because he is at the Eisenhower so you really should be there," he concluded inelegantly as he lowered his hand.
Cadence looked to C.J this time. "What's it called when the cowboy shoots himself?" she queried sarcastically.
C.J flashed an awkward smile this time as she realised she had been talking louder than she had realised.. "Friendly fire I guess," she suggested.
Mallory lowered her arms as she glanced from her sister to C.J. "Can we stop with the cowboy metaphors I'm getting confused. Why is Sam at the Eisenhower?"
"The president sent him there," Josh answered diplomatically.
Cadence gave a wide smile at this as she relaxed her stance slightly. "What did he do this time?" she queried teasingly.
"He's..." Josh faltered for an excuse.
"He's with Leo," C.J retorted. She gave her co-worker a scolding stare. "Josh we can tell them that, they'll find out anyway."
Josh bristled slightly. "Yes C.J but we don't have to be their source, that could be the difference between employment and unemployment for us," he murmured.
Mallory shook her head. "Right, this conversation just keeps getting vaguer. I'm going to the Eisenhower since it's apparently where everyone is and where we should be." She glanced to her sister. "Are you coming Cady?"
Josh was surprised as he saw an odd uneasiness flit across Cadence's face before she banished it. The young woman conjured a smile for her sister as she shook her head at her. "No thanks Mal, I've something else to catch up on."
Mallory gave her sister a serious stare. "Alright, well I'll see you at seven for dinner, if you're going to be late, call," she said sternly.
Cadence nodded reassuringly. "I will Mal."
"Are you calling Tom after dinner?"
"Yeah, he should be free by then."
Mallory nodded and glanced over to the others, offering them a slightly mocking smile, her stare lingering on Simon as it became suspicious.
The bustle of the West Wing had resumed, the chatter of politics was in the air once more and various footsteps echoed up and down the hallways.
"See you guys later, have a good day," she offered cheerfully.
"Bye Mallory," C.J retorted with a sincere smile and wave. She looked down to her waving hand, catching a glimpse of the time on silver watch. "Oh shoot, I'm going to be late. Quick walking now Simon, unless you fancy giving me some space?" She glanced over her shoulder to the Secret Service agent hopefully. Seeing his unimpressed stare, she shrugged. "No then."
C.J began pacing again, heading up to Cadence and the retreating Mallory. "You and Agent Casper made this look effortless," C.J said jovially as she stopped beside Cadence briefly.
Cadence had taken a step back to evade C.J and her bodyguard. She continued to keep her gaze from Simon, focusing purposely on C.J this time.
"Well he said my noisy footwear made it easy to keep track of me," Cadence commented sarcastically.
Both women peered down to their feet instinctively.
"Huh," C.J remarked dryly as she studied her black satin pumps. "I'm going to get some soft soled flats then."
C.J started walking again with Simon hot on her trail. The agent didn't bother with even a quick glance in Cadence's direction, simply treating her as if she wasn't there.
The young woman became aware that Josh was still there and staring at her.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?"
The pair gaped at each other in a flustered embarrassment as they asked the same question at the same time. Cadence had her hands on her hips once more in an angry pose whilst Josh looked back indignantly.
This time instead of a nosy hush, voices seemed to grow as the admin of the West Wing attempted desperately to drown out the arguing of the pair.
"I work here!" Josh snapped childishly.
"If I say jinx you have to shut up, right?" Cadence retorted bitingly. "Jinx!"
"Too late," Josh dismissed her response with a wave of his hand. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your daddy daughter trip to Texas?" he asked sarcastically.
Cadence frowned at this and shook her head. "I didn't ask for that," she said quietly.
"No but you didn't turn it down either," Josh accused. "Why?" Josh's curiosity got the better of him as he stared over at the younger woman. "Did you miss it?"
Josh remembered Cadence on the campaign trails, so young and keen everyone had expected her to be filing and taking calls but she had come up with some genuinely good promotional ideas and shown a real flair for propaganda. She had been good at team building too and boosting morale with boozy karaoke nights, crazy golf indoors when a storm had prevented some outdoor campaigning and other fun filled activities that she had manipulated to the media as both a show of their presidential candidate's fun side but also the good relations his team had.
"You did right?" Josh queried before she could answer. "You were good at it," he admitted grudgingly, "but isn't this a risk for Tom?"
Cadence's expression became solemn as she lowered her arms by her sides and nodded. "Yes and I'm still not sure about that despite the guarantees," she admitted. She reached a hand up to sweep back some of her fair hair before she pressed her fingertips against her brow. "It's all happened quite quickly, I'm here because Zoey called and to offer some P.R advice for Texas."
Josh arched his eyebrows slightly at the mention of Zoey. He considered privately that having the president's daughter ring Cadence seemed like a dirty trick.
"Have you been back to the Eisenhower?" he pried calmly. Seeing the annoyance creep back in Cadence's face he added hastily, "that's a genuine question. You know, if you're doing P.R for the Vice and all. Have you seen him?"
"No," Cadence retorted bluntly. "I haven't seen any of them I don't..." She trailed off, glancing down to the pleats of her grey skirt as she tugged at them unnecessarily. She looked up at Josh with a firm expression. "I suppose I don't know to fit in there," she admitted coolly. "After all it's secretive and temporary, can't imagine they want suggestions from a temp, or rather from a traitor," she added icily.
"Oh."
Josh regretted his prying, now he had some personal information and no idea what to do with it. "I'm the traitor to them surely," he suggested with a weak smile.
Cadence sighed as she released her skirt. "Election campaign I fled," she murmured as she pushed down a finger on her left hand, "then I come back when the hard work's done but I bring secrets and scandals," she said airily, "then I'm gone again. Now I'm back but probably destined to go again because my boyfriend is running for Senate for the Republicans and I won't risk upsetting that."
"Cadence, you do good work," Josh reaffirmed, "which is hard for me to say, really hard. Look," he held up a hand, "and I'm regretting this before I even say it but let's go out for a drink- you, me, Sam, Mallory, C.J, Gavin and Jeremy, and anyone else on Hoynes' team. Sociable not work, just you calling in with some old friends," he said lightly with a grin.
Cadence looked surprised at this. "What's your angle?" she pried.
"No angle, just seems like someone should break the ice for your return. Okay and maybe it means scoring points with Leo over Sam," he added jokingly.
"Well.." Cadence looked thoughtful. "I haven't been out in a long time," she admitted quietly as she stiffened slightly.
"You could always bring Casper," Josh suggested, "he can pair up with Donovan, make him feel less of an oddity."
Cadence frowned slightly at this. "He's waiting at the doors you know," she said as she glanced over her shoulder to the busy corridors of the West Wing, looking to a set of doors where a suitably suited agent stood with a bright expression and a pleasant smile. "If I say I'm going to a bar he'll probably bring others," she added sullenly.
Josh stepped up to the young woman at once sympathetic and awkward for feeling that way. He smiled when he glimpsed the Chessie pin on her light coat's lapel. "Cady, it's hard to tell sometimes but you're one of us and we look after each other. Come to the bar, there'll be nachos and I'll make Toby go and have a miserable time," he added with a grin. "And Tom will feel better if he hears you're having fun with old work colleagues, or he'll be worried because we're Democrats," he mused, "either way, it's a win for us."
Cadence shook her head at the jibe at Tom but there was a telltale amused spark in her grey-blue gaze. "Alright but tell me why my dad and Sam are visiting the vice president because I know it's not business."
Josh sighed and rubbed at his dark curls. "Well it is in a way but in another way the president felt it was better if Leo wasn't there when we got caught up to speed with the whole secret Texas P.R mission."
Cadence grinned at this. "Hmm I like the sound of that, makes it sound less sneaky and more spy like."
"I'm in favour of calling it Round up Votes Rodeo," Josh bragged with a smile.
Cadence laughed in spite of herself. "Oh wow, didn't think you had it in you to make me laugh intentionally. What is this, a truce?"
"Well it's all temporary isn't it?" Josh queried with a slight shrug.
Cadence's smile faded at this even as she nodded. "Right. I...I should probably go consider some P.R points."
"Where?" Josh pried. "I mean where are you working out of?"
"A study in Mallory's house," Cadence admitted.
"You really haven't been back have you?" Josh queried quietly. "I mean your office is probably still there."
"Probably," Cadence murmured, "but it doesn't seem right, maybe after the bar, I don't know." She looked agitated again as she fidgeted with the ends of her jacket this time. "I'll help behind the scenes but Tom is my priority."
Josh nodded in understanding. "He's a good guy and I almost hope he wins but not quite, Markway isn't the greatest candidate we have but Tom is a tax hating, military loving, probably goat sacrificing Republican so I can't ever want him to win," he said with feigned sombreness.
"No, of course not," Cadence retorted bitingly. "Markway is a chauvinistic, stuck in time pig who had some shady, alas unproven history around bribes and lands rights but let's support him simply because he's blue not red."
Josh laughed. "All part of the great game isn't it?" He drew himself upright, suddenly invigorated as he considered what lay ahead of them. "I love election year, I really do."
"Me too Josh," Cadence confessed. "Want to make a bet on who can get the most votes in Texas, Jed or John?"
"They're on the same side."
"Afraid to wager?" Cadence taunted him.
"No just wondering how we'd ever prove why someone cast a vote."
"Let's simplify it then," the young woman offered, "we go and campaign for three days, then we take polls and get an independent adjudicator to survey exactly why someone intends to vote one way, i.e is it for Jed, John or they won't say?"
"And by won't say you mean because maybe they just follow the beliefs of the Democratic Party irregardless?" Josh queried sarcastically. He pondered the bet for a moment. "Alright, I accept."
Cadence held out a hand to him.
Josh accepted the hand and shook it.