TITLE: Bartlet's Staff: Ten years later.
AUTHOR: Melissa Orr
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, never will.
TEN YEARS LATER
"We're here," Jed parked the car and looked at the large beach house. "It's beautiful."
"Jed, why did we have to rent a beach house?" Abbey asked, getting out of the car.
"Look at it," Jed pointed. "No houses for miles. No people. Just us and the ocean," Jed smiled.
"Last time we were at the ocean, you scared the crap out of everyone by screaming Shark," Abbey glared.
"For the last time, that was Toby," Jed snapped. "He was mad because kids kept throwing sand at him."
"Blame it on Toby," Abbey shook her head and grabbed her luggage. "This is one of the times I miss having secret service," She moaned and found the lightest bag.
"We're not in the White House anymore," Jed mentioned. "Besides, we still have agents."
"They're 100 years old," Abbey said sarcastically. "And you left them at the house."
"Because they kept complaining about not waiting to stay in a car for two days," Jed mentioned. "Just get in the house."
"Fine," Abbey took the key and walked over and unlocked the house. "It's gorgeous."
"I told you!" Jed yelled from the car.
"You get all the luggage," Abbey demanded. "I'll start unpacking."
"Of course," Jed rolled his eyes and did what his wife told him to do.
ZIEGLER CAR
"Why are we doing this again?" Toby asked.
"Quit whining! We haven't been on vacation in five years, don't ruin this for me," CJ smacked him. "Besides, we haven't seen everyone is almost ten years."
"Are we there yet?" Jack asked.
"No," CJ turned around. "And you three stop whining too."
"We didn't say anything," Patrick and Noah mentioned.
"I hate the outdoors," Toby moaned. "Bugs. Animals chasing after you."
"It's the Ocean," CJ glared at him.
"Okay, Sharks chasing after you."
"Sharks? No way, turn back," Patrick snapped.
"Daddy was just kidding," CJ tried to calm him down.
"Big long sharks, with sharp teeth," Toby growled.
"Shut up!" CJ smacked him.
"The baby's crying," Noah mentioned.
"Patrick, give Erik the bottle," CJ ordered.
"Why me?"
"Because you're the oldest," CJ said. "Do it!"
"Fine," Patrick rolled his eyes and started feeding the bottle to Erik.
"Mom, I have to go to the bathroom," Jack mentioned.
"Hold it. We only have 100 more miles to go," Toby said.
"100 miles!" Jack whined.
"Pull over, I don't want him peeing his pants," Patrick said.
"Jack go pee-pee," Noah smiled.
"I'm not pulling over at these places. Do you know what happens to little kids?" Toby smirked to himself.
"Stop it!" CJ glared. "There's a truck stop, pull over or you're cleaning up the pee."
"Fine," Toby moaned.
LYMAN CAR
"It's been so long," Donna mentioned. "Are you nervous?"
"Nope," Josh said. "Besides, I doubt anyone will show up."
"Did you talk to Sam?"
"He didn't know if he could make it," Josh shrugged. "President Hoynes has him keeping busy."
"Well, he is the Communications Director," Donna smiled.
"Daddy, we going to see big water?" Anna Lyman asked.
"Yes we are sweetie, big water," Josh and Donna smiled and each other.
"Mommy take me swimming?"
"I'll take you swimming sweetheart," Donna smiled.
"Dad, why does Anna talk weird?" Katie asked.
"She's three," Josh smirked. "That's how you talked with you were three."
"I did not," Katie defended.
"All kids talk like that when they're little," Donna turned around and smiled.
"It's just weird," Katie smirked as she looked over at Anna, who was playing with her doll. "How long are we going to stay here?"
"About a week," Josh said. "That is, if everyone doesn't kill each other."
"What?" Katie asked.
"Josh!" Donna smacked him.
"Just kidding," Josh grinned.
SEABORN CAR
"How did you get him to let you go?" Ainsley asked.
"Jed Bartlet called him and told him to let me go," Sam smirked. "I'm thinking Jed threatened him, but I'm not sure."
"Did you tell Josh?"
"I couldn't get a hold of him," Sam shrugged. "Hey, do you think Toby will be there?"
"Maybe," Ainsley smiled. "You haven't talked to him in ten years, have you?"
"After he married CJ, they moved back to California. I didn't stay in touch," Sam said, disappointed. "I'm just wondering what he thinks of me having his job in the White House," Sam smiled.
"Well, before everyone parted ways, he did tell you that he was proud of you. I'm sure he still is," Ainsley smiled and grabbed her husbands' hand.
"I can't wait to tell everyone about this," Sam patted Ainsley's stomach.
"Well, we are the only couple that came out of the White House with no kids," Ainsley smirked.
"That'll change in one month," Sam brought Ainsley's hand up and kissed it. "You ready for this?"
"I think so," Ainsley smiled.
THE HOUSE
"This house was built in 1910 but Harry Newman," Abbey read off a piece of paper near the fireplace. "After the great flood in 1945, this house was the only one that remained."
"Which is why I picked it," Jed smiled. "We're going to have a lot of people in this house and a lot of big heads, we need the toughest house ever made."
"I'm hoping I'm not the one with the big head," Leo said, walking in.
"Leo," Jed smiled and walked over to his friend. "It's been too long."
"Jed, I saw you just three days ago," Leo mentioned as Jed hugged him.
"Shut up, I'm practicing for when everyone else comes," Jed smacked him and walked back over to the window. "Look at this view. It's like you can reach out and touch the water."
"This is a lovely house. Hopefully it will be standing after the week is over," Leo smirked as he kissed Abbey on the cheek.
"I keep telling him that," Abbey whispered into Leo's ear.
"I may be old, but I can still hear," Jed glared.
"So, when will everyone get here?" Leo asked.
"Soon, very soon," Jed smiled.
TBC
TEN YEARS LATER
"We're here," Jed parked the car and looked at the large beach house. "It's beautiful."
"Jed, why did we have to rent a beach house?" Abbey asked, getting out of the car.
"Look at it," Jed pointed. "No houses for miles. No people. Just us and the ocean," Jed smiled.
"Last time we were at the ocean, you scared the crap out of everyone by screaming Shark," Abbey glared.
"For the last time, that was Toby," Jed snapped. "He was mad because kids kept throwing sand at him."
"Blame it on Toby," Abbey shook her head and grabbed her luggage. "This is one of the times I miss having secret service," She moaned and found the lightest bag.
"We're not in the White House anymore," Jed mentioned. "Besides, we still have agents."
"They're 100 years old," Abbey said sarcastically. "And you left them at the house."
"Because they kept complaining about not waiting to stay in a car for two days," Jed mentioned. "Just get in the house."
"Fine," Abbey took the key and walked over and unlocked the house. "It's gorgeous."
"I told you!" Jed yelled from the car.
"You get all the luggage," Abbey demanded. "I'll start unpacking."
"Of course," Jed rolled his eyes and did what his wife told him to do.
ZIEGLER CAR
"Why are we doing this again?" Toby asked.
"Quit whining! We haven't been on vacation in five years, don't ruin this for me," CJ smacked him. "Besides, we haven't seen everyone is almost ten years."
"Are we there yet?" Jack asked.
"No," CJ turned around. "And you three stop whining too."
"We didn't say anything," Patrick and Noah mentioned.
"I hate the outdoors," Toby moaned. "Bugs. Animals chasing after you."
"It's the Ocean," CJ glared at him.
"Okay, Sharks chasing after you."
"Sharks? No way, turn back," Patrick snapped.
"Daddy was just kidding," CJ tried to calm him down.
"Big long sharks, with sharp teeth," Toby growled.
"Shut up!" CJ smacked him.
"The baby's crying," Noah mentioned.
"Patrick, give Erik the bottle," CJ ordered.
"Why me?"
"Because you're the oldest," CJ said. "Do it!"
"Fine," Patrick rolled his eyes and started feeding the bottle to Erik.
"Mom, I have to go to the bathroom," Jack mentioned.
"Hold it. We only have 100 more miles to go," Toby said.
"100 miles!" Jack whined.
"Pull over, I don't want him peeing his pants," Patrick said.
"Jack go pee-pee," Noah smiled.
"I'm not pulling over at these places. Do you know what happens to little kids?" Toby smirked to himself.
"Stop it!" CJ glared. "There's a truck stop, pull over or you're cleaning up the pee."
"Fine," Toby moaned.
LYMAN CAR
"It's been so long," Donna mentioned. "Are you nervous?"
"Nope," Josh said. "Besides, I doubt anyone will show up."
"Did you talk to Sam?"
"He didn't know if he could make it," Josh shrugged. "President Hoynes has him keeping busy."
"Well, he is the Communications Director," Donna smiled.
"Daddy, we going to see big water?" Anna Lyman asked.
"Yes we are sweetie, big water," Josh and Donna smiled and each other.
"Mommy take me swimming?"
"I'll take you swimming sweetheart," Donna smiled.
"Dad, why does Anna talk weird?" Katie asked.
"She's three," Josh smirked. "That's how you talked with you were three."
"I did not," Katie defended.
"All kids talk like that when they're little," Donna turned around and smiled.
"It's just weird," Katie smirked as she looked over at Anna, who was playing with her doll. "How long are we going to stay here?"
"About a week," Josh said. "That is, if everyone doesn't kill each other."
"What?" Katie asked.
"Josh!" Donna smacked him.
"Just kidding," Josh grinned.
SEABORN CAR
"How did you get him to let you go?" Ainsley asked.
"Jed Bartlet called him and told him to let me go," Sam smirked. "I'm thinking Jed threatened him, but I'm not sure."
"Did you tell Josh?"
"I couldn't get a hold of him," Sam shrugged. "Hey, do you think Toby will be there?"
"Maybe," Ainsley smiled. "You haven't talked to him in ten years, have you?"
"After he married CJ, they moved back to California. I didn't stay in touch," Sam said, disappointed. "I'm just wondering what he thinks of me having his job in the White House," Sam smiled.
"Well, before everyone parted ways, he did tell you that he was proud of you. I'm sure he still is," Ainsley smiled and grabbed her husbands' hand.
"I can't wait to tell everyone about this," Sam patted Ainsley's stomach.
"Well, we are the only couple that came out of the White House with no kids," Ainsley smirked.
"That'll change in one month," Sam brought Ainsley's hand up and kissed it. "You ready for this?"
"I think so," Ainsley smiled.
THE HOUSE
"This house was built in 1910 but Harry Newman," Abbey read off a piece of paper near the fireplace. "After the great flood in 1945, this house was the only one that remained."
"Which is why I picked it," Jed smiled. "We're going to have a lot of people in this house and a lot of big heads, we need the toughest house ever made."
"I'm hoping I'm not the one with the big head," Leo said, walking in.
"Leo," Jed smiled and walked over to his friend. "It's been too long."
"Jed, I saw you just three days ago," Leo mentioned as Jed hugged him.
"Shut up, I'm practicing for when everyone else comes," Jed smacked him and walked back over to the window. "Look at this view. It's like you can reach out and touch the water."
"This is a lovely house. Hopefully it will be standing after the week is over," Leo smirked as he kissed Abbey on the cheek.
"I keep telling him that," Abbey whispered into Leo's ear.
"I may be old, but I can still hear," Jed glared.
"So, when will everyone get here?" Leo asked.
"Soon, very soon," Jed smiled.
TBC