Welcome Back

Welcome Back, Kate Montgomery

Chapter One

By: Eve Karma

Disclaimer: Cabaret and the West Wing are not mine, but Kate belongs to me.

Spoilers: Slim to Nil. There is a spoiler for Whitening Toothpaste, so if you haven't read that, it's a good place to start.

Other: This is the sequel to "The Star That Never Was"...hope y'all enjoy the continuing saga of Kate Montgomery, ex-intern extraordinaire!

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***Present Day***

I hesitantly stood just inside the doorway, fingering the Visitor pass hanging around my neck and wiggling my toes inside my Nine West boots, sinking into the plush carpet.

I took another step or two, adjusted my purse on my shoulder, and unzipped my jacket. I looked around for a moment, admiring the Christmas decorations. I was starting to regret coming, and was turning around to leave, when someone spotted me and called my name, loud and clear.

"Kate Montgomery! What are you doing here?"

I turned back and spotted Josh Lyman walking toward me with open arms.

"Hey!" I said, and hugged him warmly.

"Hey, yourself," he replied, stepping back to look me over. "I haven't seen you since the big night. All I have to say about that is 'whoa!'" He laughed softly. "But, you haven't changed a bit."

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Josh, c'mon, that was six months ago, not six years!"

***Six Months Earlier (give or take a few weeks)***

"Hi, Mr. President," I greeted him, shutting the door of the oval office behind me.

"Hello, Kate," He greeted from a chair. Seated next to him was a man who looked familiar, but I couldn't place. "Kate, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine, George Albert," Bartlet introduced me to the man who stood up to shake my hand. Then it hit me.

"You're...you're the leading Broadway casting director in New York City." I shook his hand in awe.

"Yes," he chuckled, "Some call me that."

My attention drifted over to the television, which was paused on a frame of video. Video of me.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, pointing.

"Oh, I have my sources." The President told me with a sly smile.

It was the video of Rowan's production of A Chorus Line, from my sophomore year there. I had played Cassie. As I stared at my frozen self, dressed in a flowing red dance costume, all of my Broadway dreams came flooding back to me.

"The President here was telling me of your fears that you couldn't dance well enough to be famous."

I nodded sheepishly. He continued,

"We were just reviewing this tape here, and it looks to me as if you're a great all-around performer."

Was I dreaming? Then the bomb dropped.

"Kate, I have an opportunity to offer you." Mr. Albert said to me. "I'm in charge of hiring a replacement for the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Would you be interested?"

I started to sway where I stood, and flopped into the closest chair I could find. I tried to catch my breath. "This is crazy!" I thought. "You just don't get offered the lead role in a Broadway production every day. Man, this President guy has got some power!"

"YES!" I said a bit too loudly. "I mean, yes. Please." I corrected my volume.

A week later, I left the White House.