Lt. j.g Leo Young was not having a good day. A little over three months ago he'd taken part in the first military engagement in a conflict that was rapidly descending into a full out shooting war. Even now members of his flight crew were painting two more Indian flags on his aircraft signifying the two Indian fighters he'd shot from the sky the previous night. One more confirmed kill would make him the first ace of this new conflict. He'd gotten what sleep he could knowing in a few hours he would be up patrolling the skies above the carrier group once more. At least he'd slept in his own bunk last night he told himself as he sat in the briefing room listening to the CAG go over the events of last night. Others hadn't been so lucky.

"McReedy and Hodges got pulled out of the drink last night," the CAG told them. "They'll both be okay eventually, but for now they're in sickbay. McReedy's arm is broken, and Hodges has a concussion. Chambers and Padgett didn't make it." He didn't explain further but rather paused for a moment of silence for their fallen before continuing. "On a brighter note, Lt. Young got two confirmed kills last night, and Capt. Winthrop got her first. Well done."

Leo accepted the congratulations of his fellow officers impatiently. He was ready to get this briefing over with and get back in the air. He had known Chambers and Paggett weren't going to make it. He'd seen them come into the trap too low because of engine damage. Their aircraft had burst into flames upon landing. The firefighters had managed to pull them from the wreckage, but it had been obvious that they were already dead.

"By the time you get back the group from the USO will be aboard," he continued. "And I'm still sworn to secrecy. You'll find out who they're sending when they land. Dismissed."

Leo smiled as he rose from his seat and snapped off a salute along with his fellow officers. He knew exactly who the USO performers were but had promised to keep the secret as well. As they left the briefing room the discussion turned to speculation over who these surprise entertainers were the USO was sending out here. Morale had been dropping throughout the fleet as the conflict between Pakistan and India had continued to escalate over the past three months. Orders from Washington hadn't changed from that first night of combat. Use whatever force deemed necessary to keep the peace while the diplomats worked out a permanent solution. If Josh Lyman had still been Secretary of State that strategy might have worked, but his replacement had nowhere near Josh's skill at bullying people and governments into doing what he wanted. President Robelen had appointed Harrison Blair, a longtime political crony to the position after Josh's resignation. In fairness to the man, he was an expert on international relations, but only in the world of academia. Applying that knowledge to the real world had turned out to be more difficult than the man had first thought. According to the e-mails he'd received from various members of the family rumors had been circulating in the news media and the Hill for the past two days that the President was about to replace Blair at the negotiations, but who exactly that replacement would be was still unknown. Blair had only been Acting Secretary of State anyway. His confirmation hearings had barely begun before the current conflict had started. The administration had been using the conflict to delay the hearings knowing that Blair's confirmation would be difficult.

Hours later as Leo and his RIO taxied their aircraft to the spot the ground crew directed, they could see equipment being off-loaded from a transport by various personnel. Leo didn't have to hurry his fellow officers through their showers and into the debriefing. They were almost as anxious to see the group from the USO as he was but definitely not for the same reason. The debriefing lasted an hour before the CAG finally said, "Alright. We're done. Let's go see who the USO sent us." He closed his briefing book and led the way from the room as the more junior officers respectfully fell in behind him on their way to the Officer's mess.

Leo was the fourth officer into the room behind the CAG. "Whiskey" Richards was forced to jump out of the way as the red-headed figure of Penny Ziegler hurled herself at Leo. "Leo!" she shouted as she wrapped him in a fierce hug and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I missed you! We've been so worried."

"I missed you too, Penny Z." he replied as he draped an arm across her shoulders and the two of them led the way back to where the rest of the USO group sat mingling with some of the officers. "Hi, Aunt C.J." Leo greeted the older woman. "How was the flight?" he asked with a smirk.

C.J. groused with a sigh, "I still miss Air Force One."

"Yeah, that would spoil anyone," Leo agreed pretending sympathy as he continued to play along with the long-running family joke.

"Introduce us, Cub" the CAG, Captain Linton, commanded.

"Yes, sir," Leo said. "Captain, I'd like you to meet C.J. Ziegler and her daughter Penny. This is Penny's wife, Jill." Leo introduced the members of Penny's band and the other members of the group as best he could with C.J., Jill, and Penny supplying what names he didn't know. When all of the visitors had been introduced Leo started down the line introducing his fellow officers. The two groups made small talk for the next hour before dinner was served. The Navy officers asking the performers what it was like being in show business, and the entertainers asking the Navy officers what it was like in the Navy.

After dinner C.J. leaned over and whispered quietly in Leo's ear, "Is there someplace we could talk alone? I'll fill you in on what I know."

Leo nodded and helped her up from her seat at the table. "Wait for me by the door," he ordered quietly. She nodded and followed his direction while he leaned down close to the CAG's ear. "Sir, my aunt and I are going for a walk to talk privately. You may be interested in what she has to say," he murmured quietly.

Linton nodded slightly then excused himself from the conversation and walked with Leo to the door. A few officers in the room noticed, but protocol demanded they say nothing. "Think the admiral should be in on this?" Linton asked referring to the commander of the battle group.

"He might find the information useful," she agreed.

Linton nodded. He led them a short distance to a phone mounted on the bulkhead. They waited as he picked up the phone and dialed. "Where's the admiral?" he demanded. "Transfer me to him. Sir, you got a couple minutes? One of our guests would like to have a talk. I think it would be beneficial. Yes, sir. Thank you," he said before replacing the handset. "We're going to meet the admiral in his office."

Leo nodded as he placed his hand at the small of C.J.'s to guide her through the maze of gray metal that made up the USS Nimitz.

"Enter," a voice behind the door said when they reached their destination and Linton knocked at the door. He opened it and gestured for C.J. to precede him into the room. He then followed her leaving Leo to enter last closing the door behind him. "So what's up, CAG?" Admiral Tony Douglass asked.

"Cub says we might be interested in what Mrs. Ziegler has to say," Jerry Linton told his friend and commanding officer.

"Ma'am," Douglass greeted his visitor as he stood and ushered her to a chair. "What can you tell me?"

"Blair will be out by the end of next week," she said.

"Well that's a relief," Leo mumbled before he thought better of it. He looked sharply at the other two officers hoping they hadn't heard his comment, but he could tell from the expression on Linton's face that that wasn't the case. In the military it was never a good career move to criticize the commander-in-chief especially to your superior officers.

"Nothing leaves this room," Tony Douglass assured the young aviator. "Don't hold back here. I need to know what's going to happen politically so I can be prepared militarily."

Leo nodded with relief. "Who's replacing him?" he asked C.J.

"Robelen tried to get Josh back" C.J. told him.

Leo snorted derisively. "You're kidding right?" he asked.

"Why should she be kidding?" Douglass asked the younger man. "Why did Secretary Lyman resign? There was never any explanation given."

"The President wanted him to apologize publicly to the West Virginia White Pride," C.J. told the admiral.

Linton whistled quietly. "I bet that didn't go over well," he guessed knowing the history from his research after Leo's family connections had been revealed. He had wanted to know just how deep the young officer's connections went. The answer had staggered him, as well as the fact that Young apparently didn't take advantage of those family connections.

"Oh, it was worse than that. Guess who they sent over from the White House to try to convince him," C.J. ordered Leo.

Linton and Douglass watched as Leo considered and discarded names under his breath until his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Not her! They couldn't be that stupid."

"They were," C.J. confirmed before grudgingly adding, "To be fair, she tried to refuse and apologized to Josh and Donna about it afterwards."

"Care to fill the rest of us in, Young?" Linton demanded irritably.

"White House Communications Director..."

"I've met her," Douglass interrupted. "Bit of a tight ass."

"Mandy Hampton-Marshall is more than a bit of a tight ass. She's queen of all bitches," C.J. corrected. "You know the saying 'Heaven doesn't want me and Hell's afraid I'll take over'?" she asked. "Mandy probably coined it about herself."

"You don't like her much I take it?" Linton joked. The slight smile on his face slipped though as he caught sight of the expressions on C.J. and Leo's faces. "Bit of history there?" he guessed.

"She and Josh dated during the Bartlet for America campaign. She was working at the White House when Josh...when..." C.J. stuttered as she rubbed absently at the necklace she wore.

"When the shooting happened," Leo finished for her as he gently pulled her hand away from her neck. It was a nervous gesture she'd developed over the years whenever speaking of that night. Very few knew the story behind it however. Leo knew she still had the broken necklace Sam had returned to her and that it remained broken to this day. In times of crisis she would often carry it with her, worrying it through her fingers like a rosary.

C.J.'s focus snapped back to the present and she nodded to Leo. "She didn't even go to the hospital. She quit the next day and took off. She was always horrible to him, but to just leave like that while he was fighting to live. Not that she was missed all that much," C.J. finished quietly before mumbling a few more epitaphs under her breath about her former colleague.

"Okay..." Linton drawled out. "So I guess Lyman said no."

"Oh, yeah" C.J. assured the CAG. "He told her they'd be having snowball fights in Hell before he'd work for the current administration again."

"So who will be taking Blair's place?" Admiral Douglass asked trying to bring the discussion back on topic.

"Undersecretary Will Fernandez," C.J. answered. "He'll be heading over next week to re-open talks, and Donna's going along as a Congressional observer. Will's a good kid, and with Donna's back door help, they should make headway quickly."

"Donna's going?" Leo repeated with a raised eyebrow. "You know, C.J., I've been hearing a lot of things from the family. First Noah goes to work for Toby, then Sara doesn't fight it when Danny puts her back on the D.C. bureau. Josh did those lectures in Texas where I hear he had dinner with Ethan and Bri."

"And?" C.J. challenged with a smile.

"And...I'm putting two and two together and coming up with sixteen hundred," Leo said.

"You add very well," she complemented her nephew who laughed deeply much to the consternation of the other two Navy officers.