Josh looked ahead and let a grin slip out before he could help himself. "Ah stoned Cady," he marvelled, "I've missed her."

Sam attempted to lean over Josh for a better view up the plane aisle but as the luxury seats were so wide it was a little difficult for him. He almost tumbled into Josh's lap and frowned when the man shoved him back.

Singing prompted C.J to poke her head out into the wide aisle and give a pleased smile as she saw Cadence attempting to lead her companion Gavin into skipping.

Charlie, already seated near the president and Leo, gave a small smile. "Some things never change," he said happily.

Charlie made a mental note to tell Zoey that Cadence had shown for the Texas trip after all and seemed in better spirits.

They were all on Airforce One, readying for take off to Texas for what was going to be the start of an aggressive campaign. There were a few on board unsure about the current deja vu moment going on. Leo, delighted as he was to see his daughter, considered it risky both for her and the campaign to have her coming along such a public event. All it would take was one nosy reporter to make the wrong implication and suddenly Cadence would be back in a spotlight she did not want and the party's already fragile public status would be smeared with the shadows of Cadence's past scandals and comments about her loyalties to a Republican candidate. Leo tried to tell himself that was all worst case scenario thinking but unfortunately Cadence did have an awful habit ending up in the worst case scenario more often than not.

"Ooh it's freezy breezy in here," Cadence mused between singing the chorus of That's Amore.

"This is not how I thought I'd get sung down the aisle," Gavin grumbled as he attempted to calm the energetic woman, patting her gently on her hand as he attempted to weigh her back by sinking his brown shoes into the floor.

Cadence bounced on her black kitten heels before cocking her head back suddenly at Gavin's words causing her loose waves to fly out over her shoulders and almost hit an unimpressed Cal in the face.

"I should've been on first," Cal grumbled.

"Don't you mean me?" John queried merrily from behind him.

Cal flustered slightly before glancing back to the V.P apologetically. "Well of course sir. I mean first of the staffers. Naturally you should've been first!"

John gave his Chief of Staff a small smile. "Yes but if I hadn't lingered to address our press pool they might have noticed dear Cady comparing the boarding steps to climbing a ski slope, which then somehow got linked to snow and Swiss mountains and a rather unexpected outburst of Climb Every Mountain. All before we even moved to board," John marvelled. "You should give Jeremy some credit for getting me to address the press so swiftly and Gavin for taking Cady wherever he did that was out of earshot and somewhat better for her nerves."

"Better for her nerves?" Cal repeated in disbelief. He gestured ahead to the young woman who had unlinked from Gavin and was now waving a grey and black striped scarf in the air with both hands like a banner. "Is this better?"

John nodded solemnly. "No tears or crying and you only had to give her two pushes to get her through the doorway, it's definitely better and an improvement on the last time we had to do this."

Cal grimaced at the reminder and turned his glower forward. "It's ridiculous something like this should happen twice," he grumbled.

"Cady do you do song requests?" C.J quipped as she turned up to Cadence with a jovial gaze as the young woman neared her.

Cadence lowered her scarf and looked down to C.J curiously, her slightly wider than usual pupils darting about as if trying to find a focus point.

"Sure," she said happily, "anything you'd like, that I know."

"How about American Pie?" C.J suggested happily.

"How about no!" Josh blurted out suddenly with a wave of his arms.

The sudden outburst prompted both C.J and Cadence to glance over to him in puzzlement.

Josh was seated further back and on the opposing side of the aisle beside Sam, just a couple of rows back from C.J. After the incident at the bar he had been like Leo and against Cadence coming on this trip but now that he saw her he felt an odd form of happiness. He realised part of it was nostalgia as the image of the medically stoned young woman took him back to when things when a hell of a lot less complicated and troubled.

"Context C.J," Josh muttered before turning a smile up to Cadence. "I think-"

"That she should sit," Leo interrupted as he stood up. He looked over the back of his plush, leather seat to give both his staffers a scolding stare. "Cady is not a jukebox and this flight cannot take off until everyone takes their seat. At this rate it will be next September and a Republican will have taken power because we were stuck on a runway instead of earning votes!"

"Is he yelling at me?" Cadence asked Gavin quietly as she glanced up at him.

Gavin gave her a small smile. "A little, it's not personal though. Let's sit down," he suggested diplomatically.

Cadence glanced over to the unimpressed looking Leo. "Daddy did I make you mad?" she queried sorrowfully with a wounded stare.

Leo raised a hand to his tense forehead. "Aw geez," he murmured. He lowered the hand and attempted to offer Cadence a kind expression. "Cady I love you and I'm glad you're here, I really am but if you don't pick a seat to sit your butt down on I am going to pick two for the both of us and we can spent this entire flight talking about why Tom is a bad choice for you."

Cadence giggled to Leo's surprise and annoyance. It prompted a small, concealed grin from Jed who was seated near Leo observing the scene quietly.

Cadence pulled free from Gavin to clap her hands joyously before running forward and flinging her arms up and about Leo's shoulders.

Leo jerked back in a stunned moment from the unexpected gesture and almost toppled back into his seat as he gave a yell of protest.

"Oh daddy you called him Tom in front of Democrats, progress!" Cadence praised happily.

A chuckle escaped Jed before he could help it. He cocked his head up to Leo, revealing his grin. "She's got you there Leo," he said brightly.

"Sir," Leo remarked anxiously as he tried to fend his daughter off, "order her to sit down please."

Gavin looked on helplessly, his hands half-raised as he contemplated grabbing the young woman.

Cadence released Leo, swaying back slightly as she almost lost balance on her small heels.

"I think I'll sit," she murmured. She rubbed at her hair with her right hand, mussing it slightly. "Although didn't you say something about no take off if I stand?"

Gavin darted forward, grasping Cadence by her right arm and pulling her on gently. "Good idea," he said cheerfully, "let's sit."

"What?" Cadence queried in confusion as she allowed Gavin to tug her on. She turned her head away from her relieved father to look up to Gavin. "Was that my idea?"

Gavin nodded. "Yep and look, here we are."

Gavin stopped at the free seats behind Josh and Sam and placed Cadence down firmly in the one beside the window.

Cadence fell back into the chair awkwardly, flinging her arms up into the air dramatically before slumping back against the leather causing her grey jacket to ride up and wrinkle about her.

John, who had stopped to give Jed the expected, polite greeting, caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. He hastened forward suddenly, abandoning Jed mid-sentence.

Jed leaned forward to look at the Vice President in disbelief as he wondered at the rather public insult.

"Not there," John chided hastily as he reached Cadence and a confused Gavin.

"She can't sit by the window," John said quietly to Gavin, "she doesn't do well by the window."

Gavin glanced over his shoulder to his boss in surprise, unsure that John had needed to bolt down the aisle to tell him this news. He nodded and turned his attention back to Cadence.

Leo, who was still standing, looked their way in worry as he wondered if something had happened to Cadence already.

Jed's blue gaze turned curious although he could only see that Gavin and John were both lingering in the aisle by Cadence's seat.

"Um..." Gavin looked down to Cadence, the young woman had her head tilted up showing that her eyes were closed and her lips slightly parted. A small snort escaped her before she tilted her head slightly to the right.

John sighed as he realised she had passed out. He gave Gavin a small smile and shook his head. "Well hopefully she'll stay like that for the whole flight," he muttered.

"Sir."

John turned at Cal's stern address and his vibrant blue eyes widened a fraction as he saw Leo staring over at them with worry and the president leaning out in the aisle looking on with a curious concern.

"Ah."

John stepped past Cal and hastened back to the boss he had insulted, unintentionally for a rare change. He gave Jed and Leo a flash of his standard, bright, charming smile before addressing them both quietly.

"Cady has taken a nap," he murmured humorously.

"What?" Leo remarked dumbly. He cocked his head slightly before turning it back in Cadence's direction. All he could see was Cal's impatient look to John and Gavin staring down at the row of seats Cadence occupied.

"And her need for sleep prompted you to run up the aisle?" Jed quipped dryly as he gazed up at John calmly, making it clear that he wasn't letting John's abrupt mid-sentence abandonment go unexplained.

John gave an awkward chuckle at this before answering quickly. "No sir. Gavin has her seated beside a window, I didn't think that was a good idea."

Jed's greying eyebrows rose slightly as he stared up at his Vice thoughtfully.

John watched as Jed's mouth slid into an unreadable line and for a rare moment John felt fear. The president had conjured discomfort in him many times before along with annoyance, envy, and rage but never fear. Seeing that poker face as Jed mulled over John's explanation had John a little alarmed as he wondered if he had actually slipped up. He kept his expression calm and bright even as he seethed inside over the irony of it all. He wasn't with the young woman anymore although it wasn't for lack of trying and he'd be damned to be charged with having an affair he wasn't having.

Jed nodded. "I take your point," he said quietly. "Toby mentioned an incident when they were all out at the bar, I suppose you've heard about that too. Now here we have her out of her comfort zone and facing her phobia of flying, probably best not to have her by the window."

"Exactly sir," John said calmly as he concealed his confusion. No one had mentioned any bar incident to him. "Anyway, she's asleep, Gavin will keep an eye on her," he advised.

"Well it's only a three hour flight," Leo grumbled. "Or it would be if people would take their seats."

"Leo," Jed addressed him tranquilly.

"Yes sir?"

"You're still standing."

"Well observed sir," Leo muttered sardonically as he slid back down to his seat.

Everything was dark, shades of the inky black of a true night edged with deep indigo and a smudge of violet shadows filled the hotel room. Cadence let out a low groan of pain as she felt a heavy ache in her head and wondered if the pain was what had awoken her. Her mouth was dry, her brow tight and her muscles heavy. She was eager to succumb to the pull of sleep again, knowing that she was dealing with the withdrawal of the medication she'd over-dopped herself with to ensure she'd get on the damn plane.

When white light filled the room momentarily and a loud rumble shook through the skies unseen outside Cadence realised what had awakened her.

She shot upright, her eyes darting to the window hidden behind heavy, velvet curtains as she wondered how close the storm was. Another brilliant flash of light and that tremendous roll of noise through the sky that gave a sudden sense of doom and Cadence knew the storm was close.

"Well fuck this," she grumbled as she swung her feet round from under the covers whilst simultaneously fumbling for the switch at the wall for her light.

The bulb flickered to life but gave an uneasy buzz that was drowned out by another rumble of thunder.

Cadence moved quickly as her light buzzed and flickered momentarily. She jumped to her feet, reached down to her small, open suitcase and tugged out a pair of grey trousers and a matching jacket. With haste she bundled them over her silk shorts and vest top, before grabbing her black satchel as she jumped in alarm with the next flash of lightning.

When the rain started to fall without warning, sending heavy drops to strike out at the window pane mercilessly, she fled from the room.

Only when she was already down the staircases and following the warm glow of light to the lobby like a woman caught in a horror film seeking sanctuary did she realise her error. It was she stepped out the soft, royal blue carpet of the stairs and felt the sudden iciness of the marble floor that she realised she had no socks or shoes on.

As a gasp of alarm escaped her and her bare soles skidded slightly she became aware of several pairs of eyes upon her and the presence of a bewildered agent behind her.

John Hoynes turned his head back at the noise and gave a small smile as he took in the latest late night arrivals to the lobby. His keen cobalt stare lingered slightly on Cadence's olive green, silk vest top before he looked up to her startled face.

"Evening Cady," he greeted politely. "We were just heading through to the Frost Ranch Dining Room for a late coffee since we all seem to be awake for some reason," he stated humorously. "Care to join us?"

Cadence grabbed the opening of her jacket and began to button it without looking down as she took in the 'us'. Josh Lyman, C.J Cregg, John, Agent Donovan, and a few Secret Service agents were all looking back to her, appearing just as sheepish as she was.

Only John wasn't wearing the 'just out of bed look', somehow immaculate in a navy suit with the only lack of a tie suggesting he might had dressed hastily. Even his thick, dark crop of hair was carefully combed back.

Simon, dressed in his suit still, looked tired and was unable to hide the impression that he had rolled out of bed.

"Um...so we all came to the lobby huh?" Cadence queried quietly.

She jumped slightly as the thunder called close by and her gaze darted up to the centrepiece chandelier as its candle flame styled bulbs flickered.

C.J, following Cadence's gaze, tugged her complimentary, white nightgown closer about her. "My phone was dead," she murmured, "loose wire and I wanted a glass of water." She lowered her head and fixed a deadpan stare on Cadence. "Now I think I'd like something a tad stronger."

Cadence nodded agreeably as she stepped up to the group with her still slightly puzzled agent following behind her. The man had followed after her hastily when she had surprised him by bolting past him in the corridor.

"Tequila and tranquillisers would be good," she murmured.

Josh snorted at this whilst the others smile.

Cadence looked to Josh questioning and grinned at his red plaid pyjamas. "Well now aren't you precious?" she teased. "You look like you should be modelling bedding."

Josh frowned back at her. "My light shorted for your information so I couldn't see to change."

Cadence raised her hands to her hips as her blue-grey gaze turned questioning. "All of them? Bedroom and bathroom?"

"Probably," he answered hastily.

Josh's gaze darted to the lobby doors as lightning flashed outside and he noticeably tensed up. "Let's get to the coffee already. Anyway, you're shoeless so you really can't tease."

Cadence was tense too as she looked to the lobby doors. It was nothing but blackness out there but she could hear the rain striking off the glass even if she couldn't see it. It sent an unpleasant roll through her stomach and suddenly she wished Agent Casper was here. He was in the hotel in a room near hers, resting presumably as he would taking on the long shift tomorrow. Sure the agent behind her was probably capable enough, he had been able to keep up with her sprint down the stairs after all but Mike Casper knew her and he would understand her fears right now and the unpleasant memories the ill-weather and hotel scenario would be conjuring for her.

"Josh you've been dressed by the 1940s," C.J mocked, "everyone can tease you tonight."

Reading the uneasiness on Cadence, John gestured to the double doors at the right. "This hotel's kind staff are waiting for us," he reminded them, "given they have been gracious enough to entertain our late night wanderings we shouldn't delay any further."

The V.P waited for Cadence to glance back at him and start moving before he too walked.

Josh was ready to bring up the rear with his own team but a loud clap of thunder had him scurrying forward hastily so that he was walking fast paced beside John.

John let a small, teasing smile slip out as he glanced to his former aide out of the corner of his eye.

"Now this seems familiar," he jested quietly.

"Yeah," Josh murmured, "I just hope I'm not getting the hat this time."

John's smile faded as he wondered if Josh was deliberately referring to their previous time of Texas and ignoring that John was referring to their campaigning time together or if the man really didn't get John's referencing. Either way, John felt a little hurt by it.

C.J was staring over at Simon as they walked, glancing up and down as she took in the wrinkles of his black suit. "Were you sleeping in that suit?" she pried.

"No," he grunted back bluntly.

"Sure?"

"Yes."

"It looks like you were."

"Well I wasn't."

"Did you really need to accompany me for a glass of water?" C.J quipped curiously.

Simon looked ahead to the four agents ringed about John and the fifth matching pace with Cadence. "If I'd known the Vice's protection were down here maybe not," Simon admitted quietly. "This is a really long way to go about getting water by the way."

C.J shrugged. "Hey don't blame me, I didn't know there were supper plans for people scared of storms."

"I'm not scared!" Josh called back loudly as they veered through a heavy set, wooden door to enter a small, exquisitely decorated dining room, which was lit up with a subtle glow of scone lights and had a waitress waiting with a smile as she stood by a table on which a steaming pot was sitting along with several waiting cups. On two, stone coffee tables pots of cream and sugar awaited them along with a small offering of cookies.

"Do you think they've any cheesecake?" Cadence pondered hopefully.

"You can't be serious," Josh chided as he took in the room with relief.

It was cosy, more pleasant than the lobby although it still had windows letting them know of the ongoing storm despite having their curtains drawn. The glass rattled with the rain and white flashes illuminated through the curtains followed by the dreaded roll of thunder.

Josh shuddered again he sat down but kept his gaze over at the windows.

"Well now this is nice," C.J enthused as she smiled over at the waitress. "Any whiskey to go in that coffee?"

"I thought you wanted water," Simon remarked sardonically.

"Well I wanted sleep," she retorted, "but that isn't happening.

The waitress offered a beaming smile up to John as she poured out coffee for each of them in turn, including the agents. She blushed faintly as the Vice President thanked her but looked a little dismayed when he dismissed her once the cups were poured, adamant that he wouldn't keep her any later than necessary.

C.J and Josh sat opposite each other with Simon hovering nearby as he frowned at the door they had come in through and then the staff door that probably led to the kitchens. He considered it a point of vulnerability.

Cadence remained standing, her cup clutched tightly in both hands as she felt her chest rise and fall a little more rapidly than usual. She turned her stare down to the brown liquid in her cup, purposefully avoiding John's curious stare.

She was relieved for Josh and C.J's presence knowing that even John wouldn't consider the risk of flirtations with her in front of them. Yet in spite of the threat of their prying eyes, Cadence couldn't help but be conscious of John's presence. He was calm and confident in the storm, a contrast to her own quivering form, his tranquillity helped to soothe her own nerves a little.

Cadence's gaze crept up slowly, her head remaining tilted down as she tried to be subtle. She had done her best to avoid moments alone with the man, always thinking back to her moment of weakness in the hotel room. She was devoted to Tom and missing him sorely but there was still no off switch for John. She had forgotten how strong that lure was until her birthday, able to tell herself that her lust had faded when she had evaded him for the past couple of years but it was a lie. The attraction had lain dormant not extinct.

There was a terrible flash of lightning so close it dazzled everyone's eyes momentarily as it struck near the hotel, a fork of energy and heat from the heavens that, when it faded, took all the light with it. As a terrible grumble of thunder shook through the skies above the hotel, the group suddenly found themselves plunged into darkness.

Cadence dropped her cup and clapped her hands to her head instinctively as she started to shake it. The smashing of the cup had all the agents tensing and searching the darkened room in alarm.

Josh let out a yelp before he could help himself, an instinctive reaction to the sudden darkness, which only served to heighten the alarm in the room.

At the murmur of worried voices, John was prompted to call for calm.

"It's only a power outage everyone," he addressed them loudly and cheerfully, "no need for the alarm."

He heard Cadence whimper in front of him and took a careful couple of steps towards her, wincing as his shoes found the spilt coffee.

Cadence tensed up as two hands took a gentle grasp of her shoulders and tugged her forward. She remained with her hands raised against her ears until she felt a hand push her head forward into a warm, cotton clad torso.

John only meant to reassure the young woman with a light touch but when he felt her trembling he was prompted to embrace her against him.

Cadence let her hands drop away only to tense again as she heard the rain hammering against the glass. "That sound," she said woefully, "I can't stand it. It's always raining when things happen."

"You're okay Cady," John tried to reassure her. "You're safe with us."

He stroked her hair lightly as she turned her head up to him. He caught a faint whiff of her vanilla perfume and it filled him with bitterness, only since Tom had she worn that brand, before him it was a jasmine scented perfume that John had adored.

"No," she murmured, "there were agents before and still...they managed." She swallowed hard. "There are two doors here, oh God what if...did someone knock the power off?"

John was dismayed to hear the fear in her voice and he wondered about this night at the bar he knew nothing about. He took a firmer grasp of her in his arms, wrapping them about her as he held her close against her.

"Feel that," he said quietly. "If there was anyone out there Cady they'd have to get through me to get to you, alright? But I promise it's just the storm, power outages happen in storms."

She nodded even as several anxious breaths escaped her. "Right, right, it's just, a flight and a hotel and that rain, it's...it's so similar."

She closed her eyes and then in a quiet, fearful voice she had John filling with a sudden show of woe for her as she said, "I'm scared."

John kissed her gently on the brow. "I'm here for you Cady," he murmured softly, "I'm always here for you."

His words went unheard by the others. C.J and Josh remained seated, figuring it was the safest thing to do in the dark. C.J sipped at her coffee calmly, figuring a little thing like a power cut didn't mean good coffee should go to waste and it was good coffee.

The lights came back on without warning illuminating John and Cadence's close embrace as C.J and Josh both looked their way.

John had Cadence hugged close into him in an embrace too intense to be mistaken for friendship. His head was dipped down to her, his mouth at her upturned brow as he gave it another light kiss just as the lights came back on.

Cadence had her hands up and about him, one around his waist, the other a little higher, an embrace she couldn't recall giving. Her eyes were closed as she tried to repress shudders that didn't just come from fear.

C.J's mouth parted in an O as she whirled her head to stare at Josh with a wide eyed, stunned expression. Josh looked surprised but not to the extent C.J did. He slumped back in his seat slightly and bowed his head from the sight as he thought of Tom and disappointment took over his face.