Josh was right; the flight wasn't very long. It was the circling over the
airport waiting for the visibility to clear that took a long time. Even
when the airplane finally landed, the drivers were uneasy about leaving in
the middle of the storm.
"Why don't we get our luggage and then wait to see what the weather does? Maybe by then it'll have cleared," CJ suggested. She had seen the press scattering and she wanted to stay at least one step ahead of them. It wouldn't do for the press to get there before they did.
"We're already an hour late. Weren't we supposed to have meetings tonight?" Toby was anxious to get back to work.
"The luggage is coming around. I understand the reasoning behind wanting to stay here, but we're going to have a long week ahead of us, starting with the first round of meetings tonight and the formal greeting. We should get out of here, but not if you think it's too dangerous," Leo told the drivers. He really wanted to leave, but he would trust the judgment of the drivers.
"Hey, Sam, there's your bag of bricks." CJ pointed helpfully
"I'll have you know that I didn't pack any bricks, only clothes."
"Josh, grab your bag," Donna interjected before Sam had a chance to get any further.
"That's not my bag," he answered.
"Yes, it is. I packed it remember? Now, grab your bag before its too late."
"I don't own any suitcases that look like that."
"Then why is the name Joshua Lyman engraved on the metal tag?" Josh didn't have an answer, but he grabbed the bag.
"Sam, take those off for me." CJ reached for an overnight bag and a garment bag as two matching suitcases followed close behind.
"Ever heard of packing light?" he quipped as he hauled them off the carousel.
"Leo, looks like you really know how to pack light," Josh commented, looking from the pile of luggage at CJ's feet to the empty space around Leo's.
"I knew I had forgotten something," he replied sheepishly, reaching down to grab as many of Margaret's bags as he could.
"I can take that for you, sir," Ron said as he held out his hand for Jed's suitcase. There were enough other agents around that he could lend a hand.
"I'm fine, but I think the ladies are going to need a hand with their bags, if you can spare them."
"Sir, I'm sure there are porters who can carry our stuff for us. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what they get paid for." But even as Toby complained, he followed Jed's lead and picked up two of Ginger's bags.
"We'll be fine, Toby. It's only a short walk." Jed started off purposefully, fully laden with bags.
"Uh, sir, it's a short walk in the other direction." Leo shifted his load slightly and started to walk towards the door. Jed turned and followed obediently.
The girls giggled. All of the men were carrying four, or even five bags and were so loaded down they could hardly walk; they had to waddle down the hallway. But not a single one had bothered to leave anything for the women to carry.
Outside the airport, the wind was biting cold and the snow was drifting wildly across the ground. It piled in drifts that were blown away only moments later. Visibility was near zero in exposed areas, but they were still determined to carry on.
"Are you sure we shouldn't just wait here for a while?" CJ pulled the collar of her coat up closer to her face. It had been chilly in Washington, but she simply wasn't dressed for a storm like this.
"We'll be fine. These drivers are experienced.
"But none of us are dressed for warmth." Donna shivered violently.
"Didn't you pack warm clothes?" Josh asked as innocently as he could manage under the circumstances.
"Don't worry, we've got lots of clothes in our suitcases. Or, at least, most of us do." Sam grinned at Leo.
"Besides, visibility is improving. I can see the flag on the control tower now and I couldn't a moment ago," Josh said hopefully as he climbed into the limo. Leo, CJ, and Toby followed close behind. Only Sam hesitated.
"If you're sure." He pulled the door shut firmly behind him.
"Don't worry. Did you find the information about the missile shield?" Leo tightened his seatbelt as the car began to move.
"Yeah, but I still don't like the idea of firing a missile over their country. If I were on the Prim Minister's staff, I would advise him against it. Hell, I'm going to advise the President against it."
"But, did you get the information?" Leo couldn't understand why Sam was so dead set against the idea.
"I got your information, but I got some of my own too." As he spoke, he pulled two thick sheaves of paper out of his briefcase.
"Where do the rest of you stand?" Leo respected all of their opinions, but his own would be next to impossible to sway.
Toby's cell phone rang as he opened his moth to answer. Holding up an index finger, he answered it. "Toby Ziegler."
"Why are you the only one who bothered to have a cell phone turned on?" Jed's voice asked from the other end. "What are you talking about?" He felt left out even though he knew he would hear eventually. As they spoke, the motorcade pulled out onto the highway and began to pick up a little speed.
"The missile shield. Sam's against it, and you know where Leo stands. I'm personally with Leo." The others had fallen silent.
"And the others?" Toby was silent. "Put me on with CJ."
Wordlessly, he held the phone out to CJ. "Mister President?" she guessed.
"Where do you stand?"
"I think we need it. We don't need it as much as we need other things, but we still need it."
"Give the phone to Josh." CJ tossed the phone across to him. "What about you?"
Before Josh had a chance to answer, their limo started to skid. The driver of Jed's limo saw the action and started to turn to avoid them. But the wheels of their vehicle began to slip on another patch of ice that had been covered by the snow. The two limos spun dangerously towards one another.
"Why don't we get our luggage and then wait to see what the weather does? Maybe by then it'll have cleared," CJ suggested. She had seen the press scattering and she wanted to stay at least one step ahead of them. It wouldn't do for the press to get there before they did.
"We're already an hour late. Weren't we supposed to have meetings tonight?" Toby was anxious to get back to work.
"The luggage is coming around. I understand the reasoning behind wanting to stay here, but we're going to have a long week ahead of us, starting with the first round of meetings tonight and the formal greeting. We should get out of here, but not if you think it's too dangerous," Leo told the drivers. He really wanted to leave, but he would trust the judgment of the drivers.
"Hey, Sam, there's your bag of bricks." CJ pointed helpfully
"I'll have you know that I didn't pack any bricks, only clothes."
"Josh, grab your bag," Donna interjected before Sam had a chance to get any further.
"That's not my bag," he answered.
"Yes, it is. I packed it remember? Now, grab your bag before its too late."
"I don't own any suitcases that look like that."
"Then why is the name Joshua Lyman engraved on the metal tag?" Josh didn't have an answer, but he grabbed the bag.
"Sam, take those off for me." CJ reached for an overnight bag and a garment bag as two matching suitcases followed close behind.
"Ever heard of packing light?" he quipped as he hauled them off the carousel.
"Leo, looks like you really know how to pack light," Josh commented, looking from the pile of luggage at CJ's feet to the empty space around Leo's.
"I knew I had forgotten something," he replied sheepishly, reaching down to grab as many of Margaret's bags as he could.
"I can take that for you, sir," Ron said as he held out his hand for Jed's suitcase. There were enough other agents around that he could lend a hand.
"I'm fine, but I think the ladies are going to need a hand with their bags, if you can spare them."
"Sir, I'm sure there are porters who can carry our stuff for us. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what they get paid for." But even as Toby complained, he followed Jed's lead and picked up two of Ginger's bags.
"We'll be fine, Toby. It's only a short walk." Jed started off purposefully, fully laden with bags.
"Uh, sir, it's a short walk in the other direction." Leo shifted his load slightly and started to walk towards the door. Jed turned and followed obediently.
The girls giggled. All of the men were carrying four, or even five bags and were so loaded down they could hardly walk; they had to waddle down the hallway. But not a single one had bothered to leave anything for the women to carry.
Outside the airport, the wind was biting cold and the snow was drifting wildly across the ground. It piled in drifts that were blown away only moments later. Visibility was near zero in exposed areas, but they were still determined to carry on.
"Are you sure we shouldn't just wait here for a while?" CJ pulled the collar of her coat up closer to her face. It had been chilly in Washington, but she simply wasn't dressed for a storm like this.
"We'll be fine. These drivers are experienced.
"But none of us are dressed for warmth." Donna shivered violently.
"Didn't you pack warm clothes?" Josh asked as innocently as he could manage under the circumstances.
"Don't worry, we've got lots of clothes in our suitcases. Or, at least, most of us do." Sam grinned at Leo.
"Besides, visibility is improving. I can see the flag on the control tower now and I couldn't a moment ago," Josh said hopefully as he climbed into the limo. Leo, CJ, and Toby followed close behind. Only Sam hesitated.
"If you're sure." He pulled the door shut firmly behind him.
"Don't worry. Did you find the information about the missile shield?" Leo tightened his seatbelt as the car began to move.
"Yeah, but I still don't like the idea of firing a missile over their country. If I were on the Prim Minister's staff, I would advise him against it. Hell, I'm going to advise the President against it."
"But, did you get the information?" Leo couldn't understand why Sam was so dead set against the idea.
"I got your information, but I got some of my own too." As he spoke, he pulled two thick sheaves of paper out of his briefcase.
"Where do the rest of you stand?" Leo respected all of their opinions, but his own would be next to impossible to sway.
Toby's cell phone rang as he opened his moth to answer. Holding up an index finger, he answered it. "Toby Ziegler."
"Why are you the only one who bothered to have a cell phone turned on?" Jed's voice asked from the other end. "What are you talking about?" He felt left out even though he knew he would hear eventually. As they spoke, the motorcade pulled out onto the highway and began to pick up a little speed.
"The missile shield. Sam's against it, and you know where Leo stands. I'm personally with Leo." The others had fallen silent.
"And the others?" Toby was silent. "Put me on with CJ."
Wordlessly, he held the phone out to CJ. "Mister President?" she guessed.
"Where do you stand?"
"I think we need it. We don't need it as much as we need other things, but we still need it."
"Give the phone to Josh." CJ tossed the phone across to him. "What about you?"
Before Josh had a chance to answer, their limo started to skid. The driver of Jed's limo saw the action and started to turn to avoid them. But the wheels of their vehicle began to slip on another patch of ice that had been covered by the snow. The two limos spun dangerously towards one another.