The Senator From Texas

by Kansas J. Miller

It was up to the good people of Texas... (CJ/Hoynes)

TITLE: The Senator From Texas

AUTHOR: Kansas J. Miller

PAIRING: CJ/Hoynes, minor Josh/Donna

RATING: PG-13

SPOILERS: Minor for "Enemies"

SUMMARY: Sixth piece in the series of CJ/Hoynes AU that I've been writing. Takes place from November 2011 until November 2012. This can be read as a standalone, but I think it works better within the context of the other stories.

Feedback would be lovely, KansasMiller@aol.com .

~*~

John Hoynes cherished the small amount of quality time he was able to get with his children, but as Friday night faded into Saturday morning, he only wished that they would go to sleep. John had made the mistake of announcing that CJ was due home by one, and having not seen their mother in an entire week, Riley and Addison had immediately refused to go to bed until CJ was again a physical presence in the house.

Riley had turned five and Addison three in the first year of John's second term; he could hardly believe that so much time had passed - in the blink of an eye the children had gone from tiny babies to miniature adults. They were developing their own personalities and talents; they were well- behaved children, smart and nice to be around, both possessing some of the wit and attitude so characteristic of their parents. CJ and John were proud.

It was a cold Washington November. Riley was now in his third month of kindergarten and he dearly loved attending school. CJ and John had argued endlessly over where the boy would attend school - CJ had tirelessly campaigned for the public school while John had simply refused. In the end, the Secret Service had made the decision for the couple, deeming the private school safer and easier to properly secure. Riley was the tallest child in his class and found hours of entertainment in athletics. He had more energy than a firecracker, and he was a fast runner, too. He was full of John's charming personality, and with CJ's smile, Riley Hoynes made fast friends out of everyone he came across.

Addison, whom everyone affectionately called Addy, was a shy, serious and thoughtful little girl who had a reserved nature about her. She was small, not yet destined for the height that Riley was fasting growing into; her chestnut hair fell around her big blue eyes in loose, unruly ringlets, and she spoke in a soft, small, pretty voice. Addy was creative; in preschool she had taken a strong affinity to art projects. At home, she colored inside the lines of her coloring books, worked tirelessly on painting projects, and enjoyed playing with clay. Recently, she had been banging on the keys of the East Room's baby grand piano. It looked like lessons were in the little girl's future.

"Guys, please, please, please? Mom's not going to be in for at least another hour, and she's going to kill me if you two aren't in bed. She'll call me an incompetent parent," John begged, standing in front of the couch where the children were curled up in their pajamas.

Addy clutched her well worn baby blanket. "She'll *kill* you?" the girl whispered, her eyes widening with a reserved belief in what her father was saying.

Riley sighed dramatically. "No, doofus, he means she'll be mad." Riley looked up at his father. "What's 'incompetent'?" he asked slowly, enunciating the word carefully.

"It means 'useless'," John snorted and shook his head, ready to give up. In reality, he hadn't tried very hard to put the kids to bed; he knew how much they missed their mother. John, too, missed CJ, and wished she hadn't been gone for so long. John looked between Addy and Riley, their eyes big and pleading. He marveled sometimes at the great power his children held over him; he might be the President of the United States, but he was putty in their small hands. "All right, fine," John smiled with a gentle reluctance, "You don't have to go to bed yet."

Riley bounced on the couch in celebration. "Can we have ice cream, then? With chocolate sauce and cherries?"

"Cherries make me throw up," Addy reminded everyone, her eyes trained on the Disney movie playing on the television.

John smiled and affectionately ruffled Addy's hair with his fingers. "I know, Princess, I'll make you one with sprinkles instead. Ri, come help me."

The five-year-old bounded energetically into the kitchen and began pulling ingredients for a mess out of the freezer and cabinets. John found bowls, cursing his lousy parenting skills. It was the middle of the night, and he was feeding his children pure sugar. CJ really *might* kill him when she got in.

Helping Riley concoct the ice cream sundaes, John thought about his wife. CJ had been in Texas for the past six days, making various appearances on behalf of both the new welfare-to-work initiative and the Hispanic Education Longevity Program that had been reintroduced into the political arena. Grateful that he hadn't had to make the trip himself, John nonetheless wished CJ hadn't been gone so long.

Drizzling sauce over the ice cream, John frowned. He also wished that he'd had a little heads up on CJ's course of action. It hadn't immediately been obvious, but the pieces were slowly falling into place. Donna had added on some of the First Lady's scheduled appearances at the last minute, and some of those events were causing quite a stir in the press. John had a pretty clear grasp of what CJ was up to, and he didn't like it.

"Okay, Buddy, grab some spoons and we'll eat out in the living room," John decided, juggling three heaping bowls filled with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The cherries, nuts and sprinkles decorated the bowls' contents, their colors leaving bright sparks of color against the black and white mixture.

Riley found utensils and bounced happily back into the living room. "This is the best thing you ever did, Dad."

John grinned and shook his head. This was probably the worst thing he'd ever done. "Right. Just don't tell your mother."

"Got it," Riley agreed, his eyes full of conspiracy. "We'll never tell, right, Adds?"

Addy looked at her brother and nodded solemnly, scooting onto the floor as John placed a cherry-free sundae on the coffee table before her. She took the spoon with a shy smile, and immediately dug into the treat.

John settled onto the couch and dragged a spoon through his sundae and tried to watch the television, his thoughts instead caught up in CJ. She hadn't talked with him about this; she hadn't run it by anyone on his staff. Bruce was already blowing well past acceptable levels of blood pressure, and John had a feeling things would only get worse. The movie was doing little to distract, though the children were entranced. 'The Lion King' had always been their favorite; John had put it on an hour earlier in hopes of coaxing them into a sleepy state. The ice cream was surely going to counteract that effort, but at this point, John was beyond caring. He only wanted CJ to come home so that everyone could go to bed.

It wasn't but five minutes later that the phone rang. The children barely looked up as John snatched up the receiver. "Yes?"

"Mr. President, this is Security Station Three. You asked us to inform you when the First Lady arrived back at the White House."

John's eyes widened; she hadn't been due for another forty-five minutes. "Thank you."

Throwing down the phone, John slid onto the floor, catching the attention of his children. "Guys, mom's home. She probably won't be up here for another five or ten minutes, so we've got time to get rid of the ice -"

At that very moment, the door to the Residence clicked open, nipping John's plan in the bud. CJ's voice, familiar but tired, called softly out. "Honey, are you here?"

Riley put his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter as John frantically pushed the ice cream bowls onto a side table, out of CJ's line of view. "Hey, Sweetheart," he responded, glancing nervously back at the kids as he moved to meet his wife. CJ found her way into the living room, and her eyes went wide.

"John, do you know what time it is? Why are they still -" CJ hissed, immediately noticing the television and the two little bodies on the sofa.

John silenced the scolding with a kiss to CJ's mouth. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he whispered, "They wouldn't go to bed until they saw you. Call me a sucker if you want to, but I feel their pain. I missed you, too."

"Oh." CJ couldn't keep the stern expression on her face for long. "Well, I missed you, too, you sucker," CJ grinned, quickly kissing John's mouth again. Slipping out of his arms, CJ walked further into the room. "You two are more manipulative than a bunch of lobbyists."

Riley grinned, his chin in his hands. He did not know what lobbyists were, but responded nonetheless with a confident nod. "You have no idea."

"Mommy, are you home to stay now?" Addy asked in a tiny voice, crawling into CJ's lap as she sat down between the children.

CJ looked quickly up at John, who was casually trying to make his way towards the hidden ice cream bowls. She cuddled her daughter, smoothed down the girl's unruly curls and sighed. "I'm home, Baby. Next time I go away, you can come along. How's that?"

Addy nodded and yawned, leaning her head sleepily against CJ's wrinkled suit jacket. Riley stood up in search of the remote; the movie had reached a spot that he usually liked to fast-forward through. The controller was on the end table, and as he moved towards it, the boy tripped over CJ's legs, inadvertently knocking his full weight into the table. Riley was unharmed, but the rug was headed for a different fate.

John saw it coming but was too slow to stop the inevitable death of the three melting bowls of ice cream; with loud, squishy plops, the soupy, messy sundaes hit the floor. The beige rug was immediately saturated with a liquid-chocolate mixture that would undoubtedly leave a big stain.

CJ skeptically raised her eyebrows at John, amused and annoyed as he tried to hide his embarrassment. Riley turned his head until he met Addy's eyes.

The little girl pursed her lips and sighed.

John fidgeted uncomfortably and looked between the children and CJ. He finally sighed with a wan smile crossing his lips. "I guess the jig is up."

~*~

CJ had already put the two children in bed and changed her clothes by the time John had finished cleaning up the ice cream sundae mess. A silent, wry smile waited on her face as John crawled into the bed.

They looked at each other a moment, holding their gazes until both burst into laughter. CJ sighed as John slipped his arms around her, squeezing her close as they lay down against the pillows. "I knew it," CJ murmured, hitting the lights. The room fell dark. "You feed my babies junk food when I'm not around."

John grinned into CJ's hair, inhaling the fading scent of her perfume. "They're my babies, too."

CJ breathing was relaxed as she got comfortable in John's arms. "Yeah, but they're mostly mine."

John snorted and let the lazy conversation change direction. "Texas was okay?"

CJ hummed in agreement. "Texas was great. I enjoy the time I spend down there."

"And the media does, too," John replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

All was quiet as the dark settled in and surrounded them. From down the hallway, the bathroom faucet could be heard dripping. Soon, the delayed flushing of a toilet followed, water rushing loudly against porcelain. Little feet pattered softly on the corridor rug and the mansion soon fell silent again.

"Just say what you have to say, John," CJ yawned, tucking her head under John's chin.

"I don't have anything to say," John stiffly replied, holding his wife just as close as before, despite the apparent rigidity their conversation had taken on.

CJ's sigh was sharp, heavy against her husband's neck. "John," she said warningly, her voice still full of exhaustion. "I'm not going to sleep until we get this over with. We've been married long enough for me to know that you have a few things on your mind. Lay it on me, I can take it," she chuckled low, hoping that his reaction would not be too harsh. CJ knew that he would have figured out her scheme by now. She always expected the worst when their political agendas clashed.

John groaned. She could read him so well. As they moved away from each other, his hands on CJ's arms remained their only point of contact. "Sweetheart, I don't want to start a thing. I'm sure this isn't a big deal. I'm sure you're not out to -"

"Out to what?" CJ quickly interrupted. "You don't know unless you ask me."

"Why were you meeting with the state party leadership? Why were you fundraising? What do you know that I don't know?"

CJ smirked at John's sudden, blurted bluntness. She got on her knees, the mattress sinking down a bit. She did not turn on the lights. Her voice was firm, matter-of-fact when she spoke. "Ross isn't running next November. He's giving up his seat. That's what I know that you don't."

"He's not running. Wow." John repeated this news in a bewildered murmur. Peter Ross was a great Texas Democrat, having held his Senate seat for five terms. John personally did not like Senator Ross, his slightly liberal slant oftentimes impeding John's moderate stance. "There's been no announcement, CJ."

CJ snorted. "Nothing gets past you, does it? He and I had a private meeting on Wednesday. He's not planning to announce until January. He's going to get me all of his support, John. He wants me to do this."

"Which is why you're suddenly running around Texas like there's a fire under your ass?" John snapped. "I mean come on, CJ! What were you thinking? That you could keep this thing quiet until January? Have you seen the Washington papers? The Texas news?"

"Tact is your strong point, I see," CJ mumbled angrily, suddenly too tired to fight. She could sleep in another room tonight; the mansion was crowded with them. CJ slipped out of the bed, the cold floor harsh against her bare feet. The November chill was seeping into the White House, despite the recent adjustments made to the heating system.

"Claudia, get back here," John barked in a demanding tone. He hated more than anything when she ran away from their rare but heated arguments.

"I've got a fire under my ass," CJ retorted, not looking back at her husband as she headed out of the darkened bedroom. "And I have no intentions of putting it out."

~*~

Donna Moss Lyman tucked her hair behind her ears and settled her eyes on Carol. "So we're doing this now. Unofficially, we're not doing this until January. But for all intents and purposes, we're doing this now."

"She's going to need a real campaign manager. Not to mention a whole new staff with a liaison in Texas," Carol breathed out in a rush. The brunette assistant was still stunned over the turn of events that had taken place in the past week. "And we'll definitely need someone who can handle the books better than Margaret - the money gets thick from here on in."

Donna closed her eyes briefly. A headache was beginning to tear at her temples. "There's something funny about what I'm going to suggest."

Carol cocked her head, her long hair falling against her shoulder. A beat passed. "Josh as campaign manager?"

"How'd you know?" Donna's head had snapped towards Carol rather quickly. Her shoulders quickly fell. "Okay, I guess it wasn't a big leap. But we're going to have to get CJ to sign off on that. And Stacy is going to need an expanded staff of her own, come to think of it. With the media attention this is already generating..."

Carol bit her lip and studied her old friend as Donna trailed off. The blonde looked harried, stressed, the lines around her eyes wrinkling from both worry and a lack of sleep. "We can handle this, you know."

Donna knew deep down that Carol was right, but the task of running for a Senate seat in a state like Texas was daunting, an idea looming warily over the entire staff. The fact that the candidate was also the First Lady of the United States did little to quell the nervous fires running rampant through Donna's thoughts of political strategy. She didn't know how or what to modify in her tactics. She didn't know how CJ's already- high profile as First Lady would affect her candidacy in a more serious arena. Would voters respond to that? Donna didn't know if it would help or hurt. And she didn't know how John Hoynes was going to react.

An intern knocked gingerly on the doorframe. "Mrs. Lyman? Toby Ziegler is on line three."

Donna caught the surprise in Carol's eye. "You called Toby?" she whispered, her expression showing the consideration she was giving to that prospect.

"I did," Donna nodded shortly, moving to intercept the phone call. "If we're gonna get in the game, we might as well play hardball."

~*~

"Seventy-two, Samuel," Bruce chortled, leaning back in his chair as though it were the throne of a king. "Seventy-two percent."

"I hear you," Sam grinned, twiddling a pen between his fingers. The staff meeting had ended five minute earlier, and Sam was the last of the Senior Staff to remain in Bruce's office. The late day sunlight was flowing in orange streams through the blinds behind Bruce, and his dark hair was illuminated by the deep glow.

"I don't think you do hear me," Bruce continued in the jovial manner brought on by good news from Joey Lucas. "At seventy-two per cent, he could probably kick some states out of the union and not lose any ground."

Sam snorted, his eyes shining. "Well, I vote for Delaware."

Bruce nodded. "So noted." He lifted memos and papers from amidst the clutter on his desk. "I totally forgot to ask you - what happened with the FEC?"

"Karen took care of it," Sam replied, leaning back in the chair. The day was nearly ended and even though it had been a long one, Sam's mood was light. He was looking forward to going home and relaxing, maybe with a beer and a book.

Bruce nodded and scribbled on a notepad, indicating to Sam that he could go. The Deputy-Chief-of-Staff was on his feet when Bruce cleared his throat in an effort to appear nonchalant. "Sam, what do you think the First Lady's doing?"

Sam was not fooled, easily picking up on the edge in Bruce's tone. He spun around and leaned casually against the doorframe, drumming his fingers on the leather of his notebook binder. "I wouldn't worry about it, Bruce. It might look like she's running for office, but I don't think that's what it is."

Bruce shook his head, his mouth twisted up, conveying his displeasure. "Sam, I know the looks of a person running for office, and I can guarantee you that she *is* running for office," he said in a steely voice, each word punctuated like a fist pounding a table. He leveled his dark eyes on Sam. "I don't need to explain the potential disastrous repercussions of that to you, do I?"

Sam took a deep breath and remembered his own ill-fated House run. "We'll deal with it when it's real. Right now, you're just getting upset over something that's on the grapevine."

"I trust that grapevine, Sam. I also trust my own eyes. Someone is going to have to talk the First Lady down, and it sure as hell ain't gonna be me," Bruce muttered under his breath. He looked up tiredly, his eyes wearily locking with Sam's.

Sam snorted wryly and sighed, looking contemplatively around the office before settling his stare back on Bruce. "You know, she'll probably win."

Bruce settled his hand in his chin, absently stroking the coarse hair of his mustache. His broad face was flashing emotion, but he did not speak again. Sam nodded goodnight to his boss and headed out of the office. In the bullpens, assistants and interns scurried around while phones rang, copiers whined, and fingers whisked across keyboards. Sam returned to his office, picked up his phone messages, and thought about CJ Cregg Hoynes.

~*~

"You want Josh?" CJ asked casually, leaning back in her desk chair. She was hiding her emotions well; the idea sounded instantly repulsive, but as Donna's eyes burned into CJ's, she began to mellow and consider. "I mean, Josh is Josh, and Josh is very good...but do you think we could all work well together again?"

Donna glanced at Addy, who was seated at a small children's table in the corner of CJ's office. She was coloring diligently with a box of three hundred neatly-kept Crayola crayons. Every so often a piece of paper would flutter to the rug as another picture came brightly alive on a blank sheet.

"CJ, what happened with Josh was almost ten years ago," Donna explained patiently, her voice dropping. "You've seen him quite a bit recently and I'd like to think that it's all in the past. He might practice law now, but politics is his religion. He could help."

CJ chewed lightly on the end of a pencil. She crossed her legs and took a deep breath. Donna was right. Josh could take her right to the Senate floor. "Okay."

"Okay?" Donna repeated. "Okay what?"

"Hire Josh." CJ uncrossed her legs and sat forward, leaning against the desk. Her crème blazer highlighted her tan skin and caramel hair, which fell loosely around her face. As Donna studied her longtime-boss, she wondered if CJ would ever get old.

"Toby wants in, too," Donna continued, scratching her pen across the yellow surface of a legal pad.

CJ smiled. "I know. I spoke with him the other day. He thinks that I'm crazy, but he'll write my speeches anyway." A sharp sigh preceded CJ's sudden frown. "Donna, do you think this is the right thing to do?" She looked up, her blue eyes bright and questioning. "Am I as crazy as Toby says?"

Donna shook her head, her face serious and her eyes full of admiration. "Do you know how many young women look up to you? Do you know how many girls strive to do what you do, to be what you are? You're not crazy. You're the reason that some girls stay in school, CJ. You're the one who doesn't stop fighting, and I wouldn't expect that now."

CJ's eyes softened. "What other choice is there?"

Donna nodded solemnly before standing up. After a moment, she smiled. "I'm going to the Mess. I'll bring you up a salad."

As Donna walked out of the office, Addy gathered her drawings into a pile and scampered across the office floor. Her brown hair bounced against her shoulders as she shyly held out the crayon pictures. CJ smiled softly and lifted the three-year-old into her lap.

~*~

Josh Lyman was nervous. Donna seemed so convinced that running CJ in Texas was a good idea, but Josh was hesitant. Texas was an unpredictable state; they generally elected Republicans for President, but John Hoynes had gotten lucky there many times over. His wife, one would think, could make any election a clean sweep, and CJ was already popular the nation over. But her movements would be even more closely charted than any "normal" candidate: this was the First Lady of the United States, a controversial one, at that.

But Donna had asked him to do it, and Josh would be lying if he didn't feel a flicker of excitement at the prospect of diving back into politics. He had a passion for running campaigns, for working the strategy just right until every card dealt played directly into his hands.

Toby had called, his gruffness no more than it usually was. They wouldn't officially be on CJ's campaign payroll until January, but now was the time to start plotting. Hopefully in one year's time, CJ could call herself Senator.

"She was okay with it?" Josh asked, unknotting his tie as Donna came into the house. "I mean, you said over the phone that she okayed this, but we're talking about CJ. There's more to it than that."

Donna slipped out of her blazer and accepted Josh's kiss. They'd been married three years, each happier than the one before. "CJ will call you in the morning. There's nothing more to it than that. If you want to know how she feels, you'd better ask her yourself. Time to stop being afraid of her."

Josh frowned and stared at his feet. "I'm not afraid of her," he muttered unconvincingly. "I'm not, Donna. I just think that she still hates me."

Donna was hanging up her coat, and she peeked around the open closet door. "She has a damn good reason to still hate you, Josh. But thankfully she's a bigger person than all of that - you are, too. So let it go and be her campaign manager."

Josh rolled his eyes and went to the fridge for a beer. He thought back nearly nine years to the days when CJ was newly-engaged to John Hoynes. Josh had been unnecessarily harsh with his feelings on the matter; he'd said the wrong things and acted like a jackass. Josh had been part of the reason for CJ's early resignation from her position as Press Secretary, and he'd lost Donna in the process. They were both back in his life now, and that was as good a reason as any to do this job well.

"I'll be her campaign manager, Donna," Josh announced cockily as he lifted the beer bottle. He slowly drained some of the cold amber liquid into his mouth, the bottle sweating against the warmth of his hand. "Texas won't know what hit it."

~*~

CJ sat on the Truman Balcony with a mug of hot coffee and watched as her husband and son chased each other around the South Lawn of the White House. They were close enough to the mansion so that any press near the fence would not be able to see; they were able to wrestle, play with a football and do other things that men do without the worries of security. When John took his mind away from his job, he might have been on any lawn in the nation. Today he was relaxed and enjoying himself; on this crisp, cool, Saturday in November, he was nothing more than a little boy's father.

The balcony was bright, the white paint and marble fixtures reflecting the late afternoon sun. Warmth had found the day, even in the cool of fall, and as CJ sat with her hand curled around the cup, she could hear Addy and her friend from the pre-school. As they played, their baby voices giggled periodically, the happy sounds wafting through the open doors to reach CJ's ears. She smiled; they were rearranging the dollhouse furniture, and Addy's friend was loudly reprimanding one of the toy family members.

Taking a deep breath and then a sip of the steaming liquid, CJ thought about the Senate. Truth be told, she didn't know what she was doing. She'd been involved with a few campaigns in California, but that had been in another life. Bartlet's campaigns were won at the hands of Leo McGarry's genius, while she had simply dealt with the press. Working the press was CJ's forte, something she could do with a grace that made it look easy. But molding the media was just a small part of running and winning; her talents were likely better suited elsewhere, but now that the idea of running was in her head, CJ could not seem to forget it.

Donna had easily acquired Josh, and despite friction amongst the old group, Toby had readily agreed to lend CJ a hand. Sam had quietly embraced the idea, promising CJ the full weight of his support if or when it came time to convince John's senior staff. CJ set the mug down on a side table as it grew heavy in her hands. Some steam lifted from the top and CJ grimaced. John. He was wholeheartedly against the idea of his wife becoming a Senator - he had not said a word on the matter since the night she'd returned from Texas, but CJ knew without doubt the inner workings of her husband's mind.

Among many underlying issues, CJ knew that John was worried about being overshadowed. It had happened many times before, especially when husband and wife publicly clashed over political issues. CJ was popular, and she knew she would win if she tried. John was the President of the United States. How would it seem when his wife was a member of the legislative body that worked under him? They would be at odds over bills and amendments and a million other things that the Capitol and the White House found to quibble about. CJ didn't know if she could effectively take that on.

No decisions had officially been made, but in CJ's mind, there was no backing away from this idea now that it had been voiced aloud. All of the First Lady's public behavior had been purposely set up in order to point a big, glowing arrow towards a ballot with her name on it. It was, for all intents and purposes, too late to change her mind. A choice set in stone, and she and John had hardly talked about it. CJ felt this hovering negatively over her as two little girls quietly crept onto the famous balcony.

"Mommy, my purple doll shoe fell into the heater," Addy said fearfully, her bottom lip quivering. She was worried that she might not get the shoe back, and it had been a part of her favorite doll's ensemble.

Addy's friend, bold and blond at three, raised her hand. "I tried to get it out but I couldn't."

CJ smiled benevolently at the children as she pulled herself out of the chair. She didn't want to know how it had gotten lost in the heater, but the shoe was probably melting into liquid purple plastic at the bottom of the ancient radiator. It needed replacing and however harmless the shoe, this was the perfect excuse. "That's okay, Katie. We'll do what we always do."

Addy tugged on CJ's hand, eagerly leading this beautiful, all-knowing adult towards the heater. Addy adored her mother. "Call the Secret Service?"

"You got it, kiddo," CJ smirked absently, deciding without much deliberation that she was not sticking her hand down into the rungs of the radiator. "I'll be right back," she murmured, walking out into the hallway.

Addy watched her mother leave, shrugged her shoulders at her friend, and sat back down in front of the dollhouse. From the lawn below, the joyful sounds of John Hoynes playing catch with his son floated up through open balcony doors.

~*~

CJ and John were the most lenient parents that they could afford to be under the circumstances of their lives as public figures. They had children and already their children wanted to do things that normal children did. They were young, but old enough to grasp the uniqueness of their reality. Other daddies, CJ had patiently explained, did not have such special jobs. Most children did not have bodyguards and a fancy mansion to call their home, and most children did not generate such attention.

Addy was mostly oblivious to her extraordinary surroundings, preferring to ignore it all in favor of being three years old. Both children would always be the children of a President, and currently they knew no other way of life. Riley seemed to understand the concept and take it in stride. Both children's classmates in school were too young to discriminate for better or for worse, and the smallest members of the First Family assumed an easy existence.

CJ was pondering this as she sat in bed, a book propped open in her lap. Though her glasses were on her nose and she was staring at the page, she was not reading. John saw as much as she slid onto the mattress beside her, his undershirt stretched nicely over his toned chest.

"You've been on that page for an awful long time, Sweetheart," he teased, waving his hand in front of CJ's eyes. "Everything okay?"

CJ slowly turned on her side and slid down against the pillow. "I'm having a contemplative moment."

"And I ruined it?" John guessed with a grin.

CJ smiled warmly and closed her book. As her glasses slipped down her nose, John leaned forward and gently plucked the frames from her face. She smiled again and rolled onto her back, sighing as her body found comfort against the fluffy pillows.

"What's on your mind?" John tried again, placing her glasses on the bed table.

CJ pressed her lips together. "I was thinking about the kids. About their lives - this life. Everything is different for them. They're not normal and they don't know it yet."

John twisted his expression and thought about this. "I wouldn't say that. They seem happy and well-adjusted to me."

"And they do have nice friends," CJ readily agreed, pulling the comforter close up to her chin. "But wait until they get older. People will take advantage of them, get star struck."

John chuckled, amused at his wife's sudden flurry of misplaced concern. "What are you really worried about?"

"It'd be nice to have some girlfriends from outside the office," CJ mumbled, flicking off the bedside lamp. "Katie's mother is always so shy, and I can't help wonder if I might be able to make a friend if I weren't *me*. And even if I could make friends, who's to say that they would be genuine?"

John settled into the warmth of the bed. There were a thousand different responses on his tongue, but none seemed to be appropriate: he didn't want to inflame CJ's mood. He proceeded cautiously. "Are you starting to think that running for office will perpetuate that? For both you and the kids?"

CJ was glad it was dark. He had nailed it down. She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. The sheets rustled as she turned over. "I haven't decided whether I'm running or not," she said firmly.

John chuckled again. CJ could almost feel him rolling his eyes and she was embarrassed. "Honey, everyone and their mother knows you're running for office."

"Well," CJ muttered, face-down into the pillow. "Guess I'm running an effective campaign, then."

John gently settled his hand against CJ's back. He rubbed circles and lines up and down the thin cover of her nightshirt, hoping to soothe her nerves. They did not speak for many minutes, instead allowing the nighttime silence to sink in. John didn't want to encourage *or* dissuade CJ from throwing her hat into the ring; his opinion was too strongly of one nature, and deep down, he knew it would not be fair to try and influence a decision that was solely hers. As much as John hated the idea of CJ in the Senate, he respected her feelings more than the feelings of his public, a public who could not elect him again.

"Why did you marry me?" CJ suddenly asked, her voice small and quiet.

John stopped stroking her back and settled his cheek against her shoulder. "What kind of question is that?" he responded softly. "You know why I married you."

"Tell me again," CJ requested, her sigh soft and her tone seeking reassurance. "Please?"

John rolled his eyes, smiled, and began to list the reasons.

~*~

Danny Concannon hung in the doorway to CJ's East Wing office suite. He heard the sound of voices and ringing telephones echoing off the walls inside the reception area, and Danny was almost positive that the First Lady was in her office. He hadn't made an appointment, which was only a minor cause for concern. What Danny really wanted was a nice, long, on-the- record interview with the famous woman who had made quite an announcement just twenty hours ago.

"Danny?" It was Carol. Her long hair swished against her back as she snapped her head around, her feet stopping short in the hallway. She had been heading out of the office.

"Hey, Carol," Danny grinned, putting on all of his charm. "How ya doin'?"

Carol couldn't help but smile. Her eyes crinkled with humor. "Lurking again?"

"As if I frequently lurked around these parts," Danny huffed, his haughtiness full of mock. His expression quickly turned hopeful and he nodded towards the office suite. "Any chance that the First Lady has a free minute?"

Carol rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she began to step out of the hallway. She cocked her head. "Follow me and we'll see."

When Carol tentatively entered the office, CJ was speaking softly into the telephone - a definite indicator that it was the President on the line. Holding up her index finger, CJ spun her chair around to face the windows as she continued her conversation.

Danny hung back and watched as CJ's young daughter bounced away from her tiny table and chair to approach the brunette assistant. "Hi, Aunt Carol!"

Carol crouched down and greeted the tiny girl with a hug. Her sandy brown curls were tied back with a ribbon, and Danny couldn't help but marvel at the three-year-old's sharp, pretty features. Addison Hoynes had her mother's eyes, and they were gazing up at the reporter. "Who's that?"

Carol slipped an arm around the little girl's back. "That strange man there?" Carol pointed with a wry grin. "That's Danny. He's a reporter."

Addy was studying the redhead with intense scrutiny. She looked suspiciously at Carol. "He looks like Santa Claus," she accused in an even tone.

Carol and Danny chuckled, for it was clear that Addy recognized the man who had dressed for Christmas merely one month earlier. Carol grinned at the girl. "I don't know. He doesn't seem to have any presents with him...."

Danny knelt down and pulled a package of M & M's out of his coat pocket. They had been a random vending machine purchase earlier that morning, and were now serving him well. "Wrong!" He grinned, extending the candy to the little girl. "These are for you, Sweetheart."

"Danny, are you bugging my kid?" CJ's voice, full and friendly, suddenly interjected itself into the conversation.

Danny stood up and sent a big smile CJ's way. "Hey, she likes me!" He defended, glancing down at Addy. She had moved back to her small table and was happily sorting the round candies by color.

"What do you need?" CJ smiled, crossing her arms over her black suit jacket as she walked around the desk. They stood in the center of the office, and while CJ knew exactly what Danny had come for, she wanted to draw it out of him.

"I was hoping to get a few comments," Danny attempted with a knowing grin as he flipped open his omni-present notepad. "You know, the kind every Senatorial candidate likes to give."

CJ chuckled and glanced at Carol. They had made the announcement yesterday, and already the press was out of control. CJ knew that as a candidate for public office, she would be expected to honor every single request for an interview. More so, CJ wanted to quell the myth that being First Lady would prevent her from being fully effective as a Senator. She had to give Danny his interview.

"Carol, could you take Addy upstairs? Audrey was expecting her for a nap in an hour anyway."

Carol nodded and began to help the three-year-old gather her M & M's. Danny watched them before turning back to CJ. "Doesn't she go to pre- school?"

CJ was moving to sit behind her desk. "Every other day. But I think next year, we're going to put her in kindergarten."

"Smart kid," Danny smiled. "I'm not surprised."

CJ braced her arms against the desk and eyed the reporter. Danny was still scruffy and adorable, but ever since he had precipitated John Hoynes' alcoholism announcement, CJ had employed more caution with the reporter. "So, ask away. I take it that we're on the record?"

Danny nodded happily and began to dig inside the pocket of his suit coat. "Mind if I tape record this?"

CJ sat back in her chair, crossed her legs, and smirked. "Pen and paper only, Fish Boy."

Holding CJ's gaze for a minute, Danny returned the friendly smirk and put his recorder back into this pocket. He poised his pen and mentally composed a question. They shared a smile and the interview began.

~*~ 4

Toby ran his hand over his smooth, bald head for what must have been the tenth time in row. Sweat pooled at his temples and the back of his polo shirt was damp as he paced around the high school classroom.

"Would you sit down already?" Josh snapped. He was seated at a desk, his own undershirt sticking to his skin with the humidity and heat. CJ's voice came echoing down the hallway, a reminder as to why they were all there waiting. "She's doing fine."

Toby stopped his movement, crossed his arms, bit his lip, and looked at Donna. "It's June. How can it be *this* hot in June?"

Margaret had pulled her red hair up off of her neck, and though they were all casually dressed, it felt as if they were bundled up in wool - the day was stifling. "This is Texas, Toby. Texas is hot."

Toby rolled his eyes and ignored Margaret's attempt at a cute remark. He chewed on his lower lip as the sounds of CJ's distinct voice continued to rise over the microphone, filtering through the hallways. It was the end of the school year in Texas, and CJ had found no lack of invitations to speak to students across the state. The appearances were excellent campaign opportunities, even so early in the year, and everyone had to admit they were doing well. Toby only wished that the Hoynes' were from a cooler state. Like Alaska.

Toby finally sat down, mopped his brow as another grumble escaped his lips. "First item on the agenda once she gets to the Senate: air conditioning for all public schools."

Donna exchanged a humored glance with Stacy before the Press Secretary cleared her throat and spoke up. "Hate to break it to you, but this building already has a cooling system. It's running full force."

Toby was unfazed. "So we push for the Turbo AC, then."

As CJ began to reach the end of her speech, Josh stood up and nodded at his wife. Donna quickly walked out into the hallway, Margaret and Stacy immediately following. Toby headed down the hallway in the opposite direction, already moving to ready the motorcade. As CJ came off of the stage, she made her way slowly down the auditorium's side aisle, shaking hands and signing fast autographs. All the while a steady stream of hearty applause came from the audience filled with high school students.

The Secret Service was discreet, and as Josh waited with the rest of the entourage, he watched his candidate. He was having little trouble removing CJ's position as First Lady from the equation: she was simply a qualified woman looking to be elected by the people in her state of residence. Her recent popularity as First Lady was nothing more than an added boost. Josh grinned as he took CJ's elbow, leading the First Lady out of the auditorium while reporters with cameras and microphones followed at a distance.

"Where's Toby? Did I ad lib him out of the building?" CJ chuckled, passing lockers and water fountains as they followed the white-tiled hallway.

Josh snorted. "That and the heat - he's hiding in the car. I like what you bring to his speeches. Don't quit doing whatever it is that you do."

CJ grinned over at her campaign manager as they headed out into the school's main lobby. "I don't think you have to worry about that." CJ swiveled around and walked backwards for a moment. "Stacy, we've got captive press with us right now. I know nothing else is scheduled, but what do you say we make a meal stop? I can do a Q and A over lunch."

Stacy glanced at Donna, who immediately looked to Margaret. Margaret shook her head as they passed through doors that lead onto the school's front steps. "The President expects you back at the ranch for lunch with him. He was pretty adamant about that when I spoke to him this morning."

CJ scowled. "Yeah, well, tell the President he can bite me." She spun around and leaned her head towards Josh. "What do you think?"

They were exiting into the parking lot, where a short motorcade was waiting to whisk CJ and her staff away. Josh grinned inanely. "I'm sure as hell not telling the President that he can bite you. But lunch works. Go ahead and get in the car."

As CJ nodded sharply, she slipped into the back of the limousine where Toby was already waiting with notes on her remarks. Josh spun around and found Stacy. "Let's organize the press, let them know we're heading into Fort Worth. Carol!" Josh yelled out to the brunette as she ran across the lot. "Call ahead to Barron's and see if they can accommodate everyone for lunch."

Carol already had her cell phone out as she reached the black town car. Stacy had already begun to corral the press, Donna was on the line with the Hoynes ranch, and Margaret was phoning staff headquarters. Carol looked at her watch. "Forty minutes?"

Josh enthusiastically thumped his hand on top of the car and confirmed her estimate before slipping inside the limousine. "Forty minutes. Let's go!"

~*~

John Hoynes greatly enjoyed his trips to Texas, but the summers were something special. He had grown up in the Forth Worth area and was proud to call it home. The ranch was beautiful - the sky was big and bright in this relaxing place where John could never seem to spend enough time. It was only a short drive away from the homes of his parents and both of his sisters. The warm nighttime air was a welcome treat from the shifting weather of Washington; everything was beautiful in Texas.

The ranch was a mixture of relaxation and activity. The vast expanse of land was perfect for long walks at the end of the day, and Riley was just beginning to enjoy the horses that John kept in the stables. CJ had redesigned the stone in-ground pool when Riley was a baby, and now Addy took constant advantage of the wading pool annex. CJ herself preferred the huge hot tub, which rested beside the barbecue pit on the wide, wrap-around deck. From the pool area, there was nothing but landscape for the eyes to feast on.

John sat on a lounge in a t-shirt and shorts, completely ignoring the briefing notes that Sam had sent over from the guest house. That had been another of CJ's brilliant additions to the ranch; John's presence in Texas required accompanying staff, and it only seemed fair that they be put up comfortably. The guest house was of the same white stucco as the other buildings, and it rose over the flat horizon, reflecting brightly in the midday sun.

John sighed as the heat beat down and he tried to distract himself by watching the children. Addy, in a bright pink bathing suit, was splashing around the knee-deep water, her curls damp as she romped in the pool. Due to turn four in one week's time, the little girl was holding captive court with a dozen water-logged Barbie's, all of whom seemed to be tanning on the cement. Riley was canon-balling off of the diving board into the main pool, each large splash followed by the unmistakable sound of his feet on the ladder.

Though his children were happily occupied, John could not say the same. Donna had called less than an hour ago to inform John that CJ had changed her plans. Lunch, she'd said, and a session with the local reporters. Though he was doing his best to be mature, John could not help but feel slighted by his wife's behavior. She had not called personally. She was spending yet another full day out campaigning. For nearly six months she had been putting her heart and soul into organizing and fundraising for a Senatorial campaign that would be successful in Texas. She had just begun making official public appearances in May, but already it felt to John like CJ had been doing this project for ages.

CJ was obsessed with the campaign, obsessed with her polling numbers, obsessed with the state of Texas, obsessed with winning. John had been outwardly supportive at first, even publicly positive for the added media benefit. However, as the summer temperatures began to slowly rise, so had the tension within the President.

If for no other reason, John missed his wife. He was able to ignore the fact that her extremely public campaign was hurting his effectiveness inside the Oval Office. It wasn't just a campaign in Texas: CJ's movements had become of national interest. John cared less about that than he cared about being with the woman he loved: he hated being placed second in her life, and he was beginning to understand how CJ had felt during his two campaigns for the Presidency.

And what about the children? John didn't want to admit even inwardly that CJ might be neglecting her family. On the upside, the vacation was providing John more than ample time with the children to make up for the lost moments during the working year. But the whole point of coming to the ranch was for family time. John didn't know how to tell that to his wife without inflaming her. John didn't want to appear resentful, but that was the best word to describe his emotions.

CJ came out through the house and onto the pool deck nearly an hour later. Josh, Toby, Donna, and Carol followed behind, their pleasant chatter and low laughter interrupting the relative calm of the pool deck. CJ glanced around and found Addy wrapped in a towel on the lounge beside John. She looked exhausted while Riley still tirelessly thrashed about in the pool.

Surprised to see members of her campaign staff, John forgot the fact that they were like family to CJ. He was annoyed by the four extra bodies on his pool deck. As he stood up, a questioning, unhappy expression crossed John's face. "Claudia? What's the hell has been going on? All day! You've been gone, all day!"

CJ eyed John strangely for a moment before bending down to kiss Addy's forehead. "You were a busy beaver today, weren't you, Baby?"

The little girl giggled as Riley screamed out, "Hey, Mom! Watch me jump!"

CJ waved and chuckled at the sight of her son flinging himself from the high dive into the pool's deep end. He'd been in the water when she'd left the ranch that morning; Riley was a regular fish. CJ turned back to John, who was standing with his arms crossed confrontationally over his chest. "What's going on?" he repeated with a hiss, leaning in as he dropped his voice.

CJ glanced at Toby, Josh, Carol, and Donna, who immediately took the hint. They might have been like family, but there were just certain times that the President and his wife were to be left alone. As they four filtered back into the house, CJ reached out and squeezed John's hand. A big grin covered her face in a disregard to John's obviously peeved attitude. "It went so well today, John. We had a great event at the school and -"

"Why didn't come home when you said you would?" John snapped, immediately cutting CJ off, ignoring her happiness. "I mean, come on, CJ! We're supposed to be on vacation, not out campaigning! I'd like to spend a little time as a family, here."

CJ recoiled at her husband's sudden harsh tone. "Jeez, John, lower your voice. It was going well today, and Josh agreed that it was a good idea to get some press time in..."

John scowled, his voice a growl as he turned his back to the pool. He swept his arm in a circle meant to gesture at the children. "Did he, now? Well, in case you've forgotten, you've got two kids here who probably would have liked to see their mother today! You've been going campaign crazy, CJ! I'm sick of it! It hasn't even really started yet, and I'm sick of it!"

This was the first outburst of any kind that CJ had seen from John since she'd decided to run for the Senate. It was relatively tame in comparison to some of the other clashes that they'd had during their marriage, but something about his suggestion that she'd neglected her children made CJ snap.

"I don't know where the hell you get off lecturing ME about family time, Mr. President," CJ spat, emphasizing the time consuming title her husband had worked so hard to earn "How dare you? I mean, seriously, how dare you, John?"

CJ's face has flushed crimson and her eyes widened, the toned muscles of her tanned shoulders flexing with tension. She crossed her bare arms over her chest in a challenge to her husband as they stared each other down.

John was quick to reply, his anger clear. "We don't argue in front of the children, Claudia, let's just take this inside," he growled, moving to touch her elbow.

CJ wrenched her arm out of reach, her face full of seething irritation. "We don't argue in front of the children?" CJ snorted mockingly. She stepped closer to John, well aware of how close they were to the edge of the pool. Her tone was icy, hard, and measured when she spoke. "Fine. No problem. You'll get no arguments here, you Jackass, only this."

Before John could comprehend or stop what was happening, CJ's angry hands flew squarely to his chest. Her palms pushed hard against the firm muscles, and John could not help but shout out as he fell backwards. By the time he had hit the cold pool water, his clothes instantly soaked through, CJ had already spun back towards the house, her feet moving quickly along the deck. Sputtering, John broke the surface of the water, only to find his two children and six Secret Service Agents staring with a mixture of shock and amusement.

In an effort to preserve his dignity, John looked at no one. Climbing out of the pool, he quickly came to realize that his wife was more serious about the Senate than he'd previously thought.

~*~

Addison and Riley Hoynes were visibly upset as they sat belted into the leather seats of Air Force One. John was locked away in his study even as the plane awaited take off, and the angry air between their parents was not lost on the young children.

"Why isn't Mom coming?" Addy whined again, turning her curly head towards her big brother.

"Cause she's running in Texas," Riley said, repeating something he'd heard often, from both his father, mother, and from the omnipresent newscasters.

"Can't she run at home?" Addy shrugged, her voice tiny. "It's too hot to run in Texas, anyway."

Riley rolled his eyes, too dejected to again explain to his sister that 'running' did not mean what she thought. The boy already missed his big swimming pool, and the horseback riding plans had been scrapped early that morning when the housekeeper packed up all of his clothing.

"You guys okay?" It was Sam, walking dangerously about, despite the pilot's warning to sit and buckle down the seatbelts.

"Sam, sit down, Dude," Riley replied, raising his eyebrows warily at the Deputy Chief-of-Staff.

"Okay, Dude." Sam chuckled and took a seat across from the First Children, buckling the belt securely after moving his tie out of the way. "What's wrong? You guys don't want to go back to D.C.?"

Addy sighed heftily, a little whoosh of air leaving her lungs. Riley frowned. "We don't have a pool at home. So no. I don't want to go back there."

Sam nodded in understanding and sat back as the plane began to roll speedily down the runway. The noise and turbulence of take off lasted only a few moments, and when the plane leveled out, Addy busily unbuckled her seatbelt. Sliding down to the floor, she looked down the narrow hallway a moment before embarking on a wandering stroll.

Riley rolled his eyes, pulled off his own seatbelt, and laid down on the long expanse of leather. No time like the present for a nap. Sam shrugged, gathered up his folders, and headed towards the Presidential study.

~*~

"Damn-it, Bruce! I don't give a shit if the press is asking questions! It's no one's goddamned business why I cut my vacation short!"

Sam cringed as he heard President Hoynes bellowing into the speakerphone. It was obvious that the President and First Lady had clashed - over CJ's campaign, as Sam had heard from Josh - and now the press was interested.

"Sir, I don't need to tell you this twice. When the President of the United States comes home early from his vacation, the press sees either trouble with the nation, or trouble with the marriage."

"Oh, bull shit!" Hoynes roared, slamming his hand down on the desk top. The entire desk rattled with the force. "Keep it out of the press room, Bruce! I'm not kidding you!"

With that, John smacked the telephone unit with unparalleled violence. It switched off with a gargled beep, and then sat battered on the desk. Sam cleared his throat and tentatively stepped forward.

"Good afternoon, Sir."

"Hah!" John retorted, leaning back in his desk chair, his eyes wandering about the studying, landing everywhere but on Sam.

Sam sat down, sucked in a deep breath, and braced for the storm. "Sir, I know this is the last thing you want to talk about, but Bruce is right. We need a legitimate reason to give the press for why this trip got cut short. We don't want to convey the image of trouble, and we were due to stay in Texas for another two weeks. We're lucky that we don't have press on board - we have a little time."

John was silently fuming. Sam continued.

"Since the First Lady stayed behind, obviously, it's going to look a little, ah...I guess the word is 'suspicious'," Sam faltered, his words beginning to ramble. "Like I said, we don't want to give off any kind of negative vibe that -"

"Sam?"

"Yes, Mr. President?" Sam responded to Hoynes' gruff tone with instantaneous rigidity.

"My personal life is *not* part of your job interests, you got me?" Hoynes directed, his eyes dark as onyx and his voice like hardened steel. "Now, talk to me about what I can get underway back in Washington."

"Yes, Sir," Sam nodded sharply, immediately turning to the notes he'd made on a legal pad. With a sigh, he began going through the list.

~*~

"Another round of drinks, I think?" Sprawled out on a lounge under the night's blanket of stars, CJ looked amongst those assembled on her spacious pool deck. At the confirming eyes of Toby, Josh, Carol, and Donna, CJ turned her head and nodded. "Thanks, Jean."

"No problem, Ma'am." The housekeeper-turned-bartender swiftly exited back into the house. CJ stretched her long limbs and grinned up at the stars as the bright pool water glistened and rolled with the breeze.

"So, this is nice."

Toby palmed his mostly empty, sweating bottle of beer and looked around the illuminated, obviously expensive pool area. "Very nice," he agreed blankly, quietly amused at the evening they were all spending together.

Josh, who was resting on the lounge chair besides CJ, turned his head. Though Donna was on his lap, he could clearly see the First Lady's face. "You're okay?"

CJ snorted and reached for the tray that Jean brought back from the house. "You know, we've gotta put a bar in out here. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that." She sipped from her glass a moment before answering Josh's rather direct question. "I'm pissed as hell that he took the kids, but other than that? I'm fine. It's his own damn fault - I've got nothing to be sorry about. He shouldn't be such a tight-ass about my campaign schedule. He has no room to talk."

Carol giggled as more beer flowed into her frosted mug. They were all well on the way towards drunkenness. "You pushed him into the pool, CJ. I think that was all *your* fault."

Donna chuckled while Toby wryly rolled his eyes. The speechwriter sighed with humor as the Texas night sweltered beyond the deck. When he spoke, his tone was laden with mockery and a patronizing quality. "I think that when the press gets wind of that, the candidate is going to look like a warring female."

CJ choked and coughed, and when she recovered, she planted her amused gaze squarely on Toby. "First of all, the press won't know a thing. Second, I am not a warring female! I have nothing to do with the fact that my husband, to take a page out of Abbey Bartlet's book, is an enormous jackass."

Donna chuckled and sighed, leaning her head back against Josh's shoulders. Her tone turned serious after her laughter faded away. "Hell, CJ. When you guys fight, you *really* fight."

CJ hummed in casual agreement and everyone was silent for a moment. The breeze blew softly and the stars glittered over head. Her company was buzzed enough from the alcohol to forget that they were with the First Lady, and CJ was buzzed enough to ignore the squeezing pain in her heart. Tears had frequently stung and scraped at her eyes in the past twenty-four hours, but she had yet to actually give in.

After he had dried off from his impromptu swim, John and CJ had delved into a loud verbal quarrel that had quickly escalated into threats and accusations. The children had been quietly taken into the house by their nanny, but everyone in the compound - including the boarders in the guest house - had no questions about what was going on. In the morning, Air Force One had been loaded and ready for take off by nine. CJ had resolvedly remained at the ranch, refusing to abandon her goal of reaching the United States Senate.

He had gone without a word. They had never in nearly ten years together separated this way and the icy feeling that remained with CJ could not be melted even by the blazing Texas heat. She might have given in and called John if it had been something of lesser consequence, but this Senate run was one of the most important things CJ had ever done. She could weather a week or two of the silent treatment. The consequences to her marriage be damned: she was going to run this campaign with all her heart and soul.

"Say, CJ, you wanna take the train to El Paso tomorrow?" Josh suddenly asked, his voice laden with possibilities. "Tickets are booked and there's a half-day schedule ready, if you want it."

CJ murmured her agreement and looked at her old friends, smiles exchanged all around. Josh, Toby, Carol, Donna. They were all so good to her, despite the fights and the differences. Love was pain, CJ realized. Relationships were supposed to hurt if they were meant to last. Another sigh escaped her lips and CJ realized that the glasses were again empty.

"Another round of drinks?"

~*~

John Hoynes paced around Oval Office, agitated and restless. Bruce was meeting with staff in the Roosevelt Room, Bill and Karen were out of the building, and John didn't dare disturb Sam when he was writing a speech. Still, the President had a great and growing need to discuss his feelings, to emote, to simply *talk*. But there was no one there who could listen to him without judging what he might say. Simply enough, John needed his wife.

CJ had been at the Forth Worth ranch for the past two weeks, her campaign events going on as scheduled. They were relatively few, for it was not officially campaign season. All of her free time, John supposed, was spent relaxing at the ranch with her friends, who also doubled as staff. She spoke by phone with the children each day, and after the calls, John found himself grilling his kids for information about Mom.

It wasn't that CJ had refused his calls - John had not actually picked up the phone. But neither had she - they had directly avoided each other, not exchanging a single word since the night before their departure from Texas. Reports from Addy and Riley indicated that CJ was having a wonderful time on her vacation, a fact that only served to further inflame John's foul mood.

He read the Texas papers, all of which had an obtuse preoccupation with the First Lady's movements. A party she'd given at the ranch had been covered in great detail, for the Governor himself had been a guest. Coverage of the First Couple's separation had been minimal, thanks in part to both Stacy and Bill's expert media skill. The interest and speculation had died down quickly when easily-swallowed excuses were fed to the hungry reporters.

John wanted desperately to make contact with his wife. He wanted to talk through his emotions and explain to CJ exactly what had made him snap. He wanted to re-establish a bond, because at the moment, John could not label the status of his marriage. But CJ had turned the separation into a stand-off; it was a silent game, an unspoken contest of who could last the longest without making contact. John wanted to give in and let CJ win, but a tiny piece of pride was taking the President in an opposite direction.

"Mr. President, good afternoon." It was Bruce, entering through the Oval Office's center door. His meeting in the Roosevelt Room had ended and he was now checking in with his boss. Bruce stopped short and eyed the President. "What are you doing, Sir?"

John realized that he was standing in the center of the carpet, his feet obliterating part of the seal. He looked up, clearing both his vision and his throat. "Just, ah, getting a few kinks out of the system. You know. Stretching. Stuff like that."

Bruce nodded without understanding. Whatever 'kinks' Hoynes was dealing with, they were not physical. "John, the First Lady is due back in Washington by tonight. I strongly, strongly suggest you iron out the problems."

John's eyes widened. Bruce was not speaking to him as the President, but as his old friend. Their relationship dated back to being roommates in college, and while Bruce rarely crossed the proverbial line, there were certain times when it was necessary. John shook his head. "Hey, man, she started this whole thing by throwing her hat in the ring."

Bruce scoffed. "Christ, are you kidding me? She's your wife! You and CJ are the closest couple of married people I've ever met. You can't go even an hour without calling her! I don't know how you've gotten through the last two weeks."

"I haven't slept much," John admitted sheepishly, averting his eyes. "I love her, but I don't know why she's acting this way. She's being so immature."

"Oh, and you're a monument to maturity? Please." Bruce gestured his friend over to the sofa, and once they were settled across from one another, the husky man squared his eyes on John. "Listen to me. CJ is running for the Senate whether you like it or not," he began to explain in a slow, punctual tone. "CJ has given up more things than the two of us can count just so that you could become President. She's given you two children. It's your turn to give her this. You *can* let her do this, John. It'll save your marriage."

John chuckled and for the moment, ignored Bruce's serious tone. "Bachelor Number One is giving *me* relationship advice?"

Bruce was still straight-faced. "I don't step in unless I need to. And I'm telling you, for your own political good, you need to patch this one up. It's the summer and work is lazy. I understand that you can take the time to be less-than-focused right now. But when the session starts again in September, and the midterm elections get rolling, you have to be here, all one hundred per cent, John. The President can't afford to be distracted by something as fixable as this thing."

John nodded as though seriously contemplating Bruce's words. In reality, he knew all of those things and was long past ready to make amends with CJ. John's only fear was that when she returned in the evening, CJ would not be interested in her marriage any longer. There was no plan for if that were the case, and it sent shock and fear into John's stomach to entertain the possibility.

"Thanks, Bruce." John forced a smile, standing up as the thought of losing CJ for good stuck in his mind. Walking over to his desk, John kept a casual air in his manner. "I appreciate it. Everything will be fine."

Bruce stood and headed over to his own office, eyeing the President strangely. Before he passed through their separating doors, Bruce shook his head. "I sure hope so, John. I sure hope so."

~*~

John nervously walked along the portico, the Washington night hovering in fading blue tones over the Rose Garden. Crickets and other nighttime creatures chirped while fireflies blinked on and off, sending short flashes of light out into the growing darkness.

CJ was up in the Residence with the children. She'd been in the White House since before John took his dinner, and though he'd been in the Situation Room for the past two hours, John knew that CJ could have contacted him had she tried.

It was nearly nine o'clock. The lamps were dimly illuminating the formal sitting rooms and hallways of the extravagant mansion, and when John passed through the door, the butler nodded like he did every night.

Loosening his tie and shrugging out of his suit coat, John stopped and listened, slightly perturbed when he heard no sound. He could not even make out the faint murmur of the television, and strangely, there was no peep from the children. John's footsteps were muffled on the hallway carpet, and when he reached the doorway of the master suite, his heart flipped.

Wrapped in her pristine white bathrobe, CJ looked tan and healthy with bronzed skin and blonde-streaked hair, both products of the scorching Texas sun. John was momentarily swept away the beauty of his wife, stretched out on the bed leaning against four oversized pillows. Her hair was pinned up as her eyes followed the muted newscast on the television. On either side of her slim body the two children were both sleeping soundly, peaceful as they clung to their mother. Riley's head rested in CJ's lap, while Addy, a thumb in her mouth, was nestled tightly under CJ's arm. She held both children close to her as the silence of the moment washed over the room; to John watching from the door, it was a bittersweet image.

Guilt crept over him as John realized just how lost he'd been for the two weeks of their silent separation. He had actively prevented communication and had kept his children from their mother - all out of some kind of deep-seated and misplaced jealousy, anger, and resentment. That wasn't who he was, and John had long since stopped trying to understand his behavior. Now was the time to change it and make up for it. As CJ finally sensed John's presence in the doorway, their gazes met, both full of hesitance, need, and apology.

CJ's eyes watered as John stepped into the room, her expression flashing emotion as she tentatively stretched her arm out to him. Trapping her palm in between his, John pressed his lips against CJ's hand, his voice but a whisper. "Shh. Let's put them in bed first."

CJ swallowed and nodded, unnerved at how instantly emotional she'd become at the sight of her husband. She hadn't realized until this moment just how awful their two angry weeks apart had been. As John carefully scooped Addy's tiny body into his arms, CJ gently roused her son.

"Riley, Honey, let's go to bed," she murmured, watching with teary- eyed affection as her son groggily lifted his head.

Once his feet reached the floor, CJ easily ushered the five-year-old down the hallway and into his own room. As his head hit the pillows in his bed, the child fell instantly back into slumber. Brushing her fingers over his dark hair, CJ smiled and flicked out the light, her heart fluttering at the thought of being home again.

"God, she's precious," John murmured, leaning against the doorway of Addy's room, watching as the sleepy little girl got lost in a sea of fluffy pink sheets and blankets. CJ swallowed again, the lump in her throat growing quickly into the threat of tears. How had she dared to stay away from her husband so long? How had she banished herself to Texas without her children? It was suddenly a revolting, unspeakable thought. All of CJ's raw need for the love of family spilled forward, and with a burst of energy, she threw her arms around John's middle.

As he felt her body pressing against his, John abruptly turned to his wife. Her eyes searched his, and though nothing had yet been said, it was all understood. Closing the door to Addy's darkened room, John slipped his arms around CJ's waist and pulled her into his embrace. In turn, CJ found herself clinging to John's shoulders as if they were her only lifeline.

They stood in the dim hallway with their arms about each other for a long, long time. Burying her face against her husband's chest, CJ allowed some of her long pent-up emotion to spill out in tears, his shirt quickly wetting through.

"I'm sorry," John finally offered in a whisper, his hands roaming gently over CJ's back. "I am so sorry. There's nothing else I can say."

CJ sniffled and took John's hand. Silently, she led him back into their bedroom. Once the door was firmly shut behind her, CJ turned and sighed. "I'm sorry, too."

"No," John was quiet as he waved his hand through the air. "You have nothing to apologize for. You're going to be the next United States Senator from Texas."

CJ had crawled up onto the bed and was now resting on her knees as she keenly studied her husband. "Not if you don't want me to," she murmured, suddenly dropping her gaze. "I don't want to jeopardize our marriage again."

John, who in the preceding moments had shed his dress pants, instantly climbed onto the bed. Wrapping his arms around CJ's shoulders, he curled her close to him. "I do want you to run," he mumbled into her hair. "I want you to do what makes you happy."

CJ smiled to herself, slightly amused that they had so quickly reached a consensus. He'd obviously learned his lesson, and so had she. No big, drawn out talk was necessary tonight. As she again remembered their lengthy time apart, CJ was suddenly overcome with the urge to touch her husband, to see him, feel him, to have him everywhere.

"Oh, Claudia, you have no idea how much I missed you," John murmured against CJ's lips, her deep kiss full of a passion two weeks in the making.

"Show me," CJ whispered huskily, her eyes darkening as she unknotted the tie on her robe.

A grin came over John's face, and without thought, he lowered his wife down against the mattress. CJ's hair fell out of the loose knot, and as John's mouth made contact with her skin, all coherent thought left her mind.

~*~

In late July, CJ officially received the Democratic Texas Senate nomination. Now that the primaries were out of the way, the campaign was eager to focus all of their energy on running against the Republican nominee.

Texas was dusty and hot in the summer, and while CJ and the children attended a public event with Donna and Stacy, Josh and Toby sat the campaign bus. The Secret Service had preferred the bus over the train, since a bus was more easily secured and could be surrounded by Secret Service cars at all times. Toby had seen to it that the vehicle was fully loaded with the best air conditioning system available, and everyone was as comfortable as they could be with the arrangement.

"See, here's the thing, and I know you're going to blow it off again, but I really think you should listen," Josh began, stretching his legs out so that they reached across the aisle.

"She's not too liberal!" Toby cried, launching into a pre-emptive strike, already sick of Josh's attempt to have this conversation. He leaned his back up against the window of his own seat, eyeing Josh from across the coach bus.

"She might be," Josh pointed out, draining some water from a bottle of Aquafina into his dry mouth. "And it hurts us because Carney carries just the right amount of liberal."

"Jordan Carney is a middle-road Republican, Josh. This means he's, you know, in the middle! People in Texas like a real level of commitment." Toby smirked, mopping his brow, which was damp despite the bus's frigid temperature.

"People here also like a native Texan," Josh leaned forward. "Once the novelty of being the First Lady wears off, we're going to have bigger fish to fry than the two candidates' political stances."

Toby sighed, suddenly wishing he'd never let Josh talk. "Like what?"

Josh launched into the speech, springing to his feet as the words tumbled from his mouth. "The problem is not so much where CJ lies on the political scale but where Carney does. He's moderate and he's got no enemies. He's extremely popular in Texas because he's been around the block with the State government. He was born, raised, and educated in this state. He's genuine and he knows it."

"CJ's not genuine?" Toby asked blandly, his eyes burning with a headache. It was just too hot.

"She's liberal and she's not from Texas. All she did was marry a guy."

Toby snorted. "A guy? She married the President of the United States. They actually do live in Texas, Josh. And besides," he continued, sweeping his hand through the air, "CJ is smarter than they think. She's quick with words. Once we put CJ and Carney in a room together for debates, it'll be over. The guy talks like he's got rocks in his mouth."

"All I'm saying is that we're going to have to work on some spin for the other thing," Josh said, raising his hands up in defense. "I didn't say we were going to lose."

"They're back," Toby said, standing up as he noticed the black Secret Service motorcade pulling up to where the bus was parked.

The two men slid down the narrow aisle until they reached the stairs, which led directly into the hot, muggy afternoon. CJ was already out of the car, Riley and Addison chasing each other around the sunny parking field in their summer clothing. Donna was juggling papers and a cell phone while Carol was in intense conversation with Stacy.

"How'd it go?" Josh asked with a mocking, jovial grin.

CJ stopped mid-stride and gave Josh her best dry expression. The event had been his idea, one that they had endlessly mocked. Still, it was press-friendly and that was worth a million mocks. "Well, Josh, I think the Dixie Chicks were there someplace, so it wasn't *all* bad."

"Oh, stop it, CJ. Those girls were gorgeous. Some of them were pretty talented, too," Donna put in, almost dropping the load in her arms. "Josh, a little help?"

Toby crossed his arms over his chest and frowned while Josh relieved his wife of papers and folders. "You sent her to a talent show?" He was flummoxed, having missed the schedule review that morning. Having only arrived back to the bus in the afternoon, Toby had been instead consumed by plotting strategy with Josh.

Stacy looked up from her press roster. "It was actually the Miss Texas pageant preliminary judging rounds."

Toby shifted his eyes. CJ was dressed impeccably, un-withered even in the steamy weather. "And what exactly did you do there?"

CJ did her best to stifle her laughter. "The heat must be getting to you, Pokey. I did a photo-op, watched some of the talent acts, and gave a little speech - one that you wrote, by the way. The press was there. I was quite impressive. Oh, and did you know that they have pageants for married women? It's like a mature category or something."

Josh cringed. "Mature?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "They told CJ she should compete."

"Screw the Senate, I'm going for this other thing," CJ declared, gathering her two children closer to the group.

Toby was not amused. "Get on the bus."

"It was quite an afternoon," CJ continued to mock. "Addy got her picture taken with Miss Texas Panhandle, as a matter of fact. They even gave her a little sash."

The four-year-old proudly displayed the white ribbon that reached from her shoulder to her waist, criss-cross over her short torso. Grinning widely, the curly-headed Addy pointed at the bright red, glittering words: "Little Miss Texas".

Titters went up amongst the group as they were ushered into the bus. Josh waited until everyone, including the driver, had boarded. As he climbed the stairs, he thought ahead to their next campaign stop - the UAW post outside of Austin. There was nothing - from big rallies down to the county fairs - that CJ did not want to hit on her campaign tour of Texas.

"We're headin' to Austin, Mr. Lyman?" the driver asked, his Texas drawl thick and pleasant.

Josh grinned as the bus began to roll. "We sure are."

~*

John and the children were surrounded by press as they exited the John's Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. It was a pleasantly cool, late- September Saturday, and the Inner Harbor was bustling with tourists. The motorcade had blockaded some of the streets and had slowed down traffic a bit, but not much else was out of the ordinary.

As the Secret Service closely guarded Addy and Riley, John answered questions about the medical demonstrations he'd just seen. Doctors were getting closer and closer every day to developing working cures for cancer, and the President was more than ready to step up the federal funding.

The children were bored silly, placated only by the fact that a visit to the Baltimore aquarium would fill the rest of their day. As the motorcade slowed to a stop, Addy and Riley quickly scampered into the limousine, followed by Bruce, Sam, and finally, the President.

As John waved a charismatic goodbye to the gathered crowd of cheerful onlookers and curious reporters, an agent slammed shut the door and the wheels began to roll.

"So, that was incredible," Sam commented, shuffling the notes he'd made into a neat pile. "We have to get OMB to put together a better report."

"We're going to make sure Congress gets their act together on this, right?" Bruce grumbled. "When they come back to session, I want the mark-up to start immediately."

John held Addy on his knee as the motorcade sped down the blockaded streets of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. It was a beautiful day, and the glass buildings along Pratt Street shone and reflected the late summer sunlight. "We have how long at the Aquarium?"

"Two hours, Sir," Janeane answered immediately, adjusting her glasses. "It should be plenty of time."

"I can't wait to see the sharks," Riley said for the tenth time that day. "Sharks are so cool!"

"Sharks are so scary," Addy countered, gripping John's suit-covered arm.

John squeezed his daughter and smiled down at her. "It's all right, Princess. You don't have to look at the sharks. They've got plenty of friendly fish, too."

Bruce rolled his eyes, not at all excited to be wasting two hours looking at sea life. "Would you mind if I headed back to D.C., Mr. President? There's a lot I could be getting started at the office. And Bill needs to be briefed."

John looked surprised. "You can brief Bill by phone. I wouldn't want you to miss the dolphin show."

Bruce sighed heavily and Sam hid his laughter as the motorcade reached the triangular glass structure that was the Baltimore National Aquarium. The Secret Service had already secured the parameters of the building, and the inside areas were being guarded. The building had not been closed for the President's visit, but other guests had been forewarned not to approach Hoynes and his entourage.

The group stepped out of the car and was immediately surrounded by agents in black. A uniformed Aquarium employee greeted the entourage with a friendly smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. President. Welcome to the Baltimore National Aquarium."

~*~

"Ah, shit."

"What happened?"

"No, I'm just saying 'shit'. A blanket 'shit' that pretty much covers how I feel about everything right now."

Margaret looked over at Donna and raised her eyebrows. "Care to elaborate?"

Donna shook her head and sighed, stood up, and looked around the Fort Worth campaign headquarters. Dozens of volunteer interns were answering telephones, making copies and typing away on computers, while Toby's loud, distinctive yelling could be heard from behind a closed door.

Margaret noticed the commotion, too. She looked up at Donna with shocked eyes. "What the hell?

Donna sighed again, her voice a monotonous drone as she listed all the problems that were currently besetting the campaign. "Josh is going postal because of the schedule mix up - we can't stop in Lubbock until tomorrow, now. Toby is pissed at CJ because she practically rewrote the entire Texas Education Association speech. CJ is upset because Stacy showed her those bad polling numbers, even though Josh told her not to. The Dallas Morning News ran an absolutely scathing editorial, and on top of *all* that, I think the First Lady is getting sick."

Margaret stood up, pushing in the desk chair. "More like homesick, if you ask me."

The blonde and the redhead began to walk towards the closed office door, where now CJ's shrieking voice raised high above the deep anger in Toby's. Josh's lower tone could be heard, as well, and the volunteers in the bullpen were beginning to still and listen.

"Ignore them!" Donna called over the din, her voice startling all of the volunteers back to work. In her next movement, Donna tapped on the office door. "Hey, guys! Keep it down in there!"

At that moment, the door flung open. CJ exploded out of the room, her fitted blue sleeveless dress a flash of color as she fled into the headquarters. Seething with a silent wrath, her footsteps were angry clacks against the tiled floor.

Toby, grumbling and grunting, made no move to follow, while Josh darted past the Secret Service agents who had loyally followed the protectee. Carol looked fretful, her hands twisted almost absently as Stacy stepped tiredly out of the room. It was barely nine o'clock in the morning.

"What happened?" Donna hissed, sidling up to the brunette assistant.

"Toby's about to quit," Carol whispered back, and the two laid their eyes on the balding, angry man. He was in the process of stacking binders, each movement more violent than the last.

"Are you serious?" Margaret joined in, her voice low and worried.

"He says that CJ and Josh aren't listening to his advice. She's not following his speeches. The polling numbers are low, and being 'First Lady' is starting to hurt us," Stacy put in. She looked around the room before leveling her eyes at her female colleagues. "And I don't know what's going on with her. She's starting to lose it."

Donna felt her heart sink. Everyone knew that something had been happening lately within CJ's mood and demeanor. She could become angry, withdrawn, or upset over the smallest thing, and while normally so friendly, lately CJ was not above snapping at volunteer campaign staffers.

"I'm going to go talk to her," Donna said softly, her eyes following CJ's path out of the room. She was on the sidewalk now, surrounded by watchful agents as she smoked, gray puffs forming in exhale. As she stepped away from the girls, Donna vaguely wondered where, how, and why CJ was carrying a pack of cigarettes.

Stacy, Carol, and Margaret watched as the blonde slowly made her way out of the campaign headquarters. The doors opened, closed, and soon Donna was standing beside the First Lady, their backs to the window.

~*~

Addy silently studied the seahorses. She was fascinated with their curling, ridged bodies and they way they effortlessly floated to the top of the tank, and then down again. They were beautiful, mysterious creatures that lurked amongst coral and green sea grass.

"Daddy, can we get a seahorse for a pet?" Addy quietly asked, her eyes fixed on the tank, her pretty reflection a slight glow against the glass.

John, who was lifting his daughter up so that she could see, simply chuckled. "I don't think we'd know how to take care of one. But I bet you they have stuffed seahorses in the gift shop. How's that instead?"

Addy nodded silently and continued to watch the creatures play.

The Aquarium was dark, the air cool, and down the corridor Bruce found himself staring at a tank full of fish while Sam droned on.

"These are anemone clown fish." He pointed at a white and orange fish that appeared to glow. "And this is a butterfly fish, both of which can only survive in the tropical waters of a coral reef. And did you know that coral is actually an animal, itself? Inside of a coral is an organism called zooxanthellae, which requires sunlight in order to photosynthesize their food. Without the clear waters of the tropics, zooxanthellae will die, and as a result, the coral will also die."

Bruce turned and stared blankly at Sam. "What the hell do I care?"

Sam shrugged self-consciously. "I was just sayin'."

"Tell me what's going on with the First Lady," Bruce demanded as they moved on to a tank full of angry looking eels.

Sam sighed at the mention of CJ. "I hear from Josh every other day. Apparently their numbers have sunk a little in the past week, but there are still five more weeks of campaigning - three until the debates."

"Carney's got too big of an advantage on her," Bruce mumbled, watching as the electric eels slithered to and fro. "Watch. In the next three weeks, he's going to capitalize on this momentum and it'll be over."

Sam couldn't disagree. "Plus, I think that mentally the First Lady is not one-hundred per cent there."

Bruce glanced at Sam. "You think? I know it. The President mentioned that she misses the kids."

"Sam, it's shark time!" Riley screeched, running up to the Deputy Chief-of-Staff with the excitement of someone on fire. "Come on, man, let's go check 'em out!"

Sam grinned happily and allowed the six-year-old to drag him towards the ramps. Bruce looked wryly at his Deputy and Sam simply shrugged with humor. "This could be a while. There are one-hundred and forty different types of sharks."

Bruce sighed, turned around, and watched the President and his daughter. They were slowly moving through the tanks, with Addy deeply engrossed in each fish on display. John looked happy and relaxed as he spent some quality time with his child, but Bruce's mind was clouded with thoughts of Texas. What was CJ doing down there? It had never seemed like a good idea, and now that the situation seemed to be down-spiraling, Bruce wondered how long the First Lady could hold out.

~*~

Donna watched as CJ took a deep drag from the cigarette. "Why are you smoking? You have never, since I've known you, smoked a cigarette."

"That's right. I quit just before I joined the campaign," CJ muttered, speaking of Bartlet's first run in 1998. "It's a wonder I haven't had the urge before now."

Donna immediately ripped the cigarette out of CJ's hands. "Oh my God! I can't believe you! Gimme the whole pack."

CJ was stunned as she turned towards her Chief-of-Staff, who was violently stamping out the smoldering butt. "No!"

"Yes! I don't care how stressed out you are, how much you miss your family, or how much you're pissed at Toby. You don't get to smoke!"

CJ was opened-mouthed. "Jesus, Donna, I don't think you get to yell at me, either."

Donna did not apologize, only lowered her tone. "Give me the pack of cigarettes, CJ. Now. All of this isn't *that* bad."

Muttering, CJ wedged a pack of Virginia Slims out of her pocket and grudgingly shoved them into Donna's hand. Only one stick was missing. "I hate Texas."

Donna handed the barely-used cigarettes to an agent, who knew enough to dispose of them. When the blonde turned back to the First Lady, CJ was pinching the bridge of her nose, eyes downcast. "You don't really hate Texas. We're just going through a bit of a bumpy spot right now. We'll be fine, CJ. Think about how much you want to be a Senator."

"I don't even know anymore," CJ mumbled, her throat closing up as she stared at the cement sidewalk. Despite the fact that she and John had tried to make amends back in the beginning of the summer, the geographical distance between them was making everything harder. The children missed their mother and CJ missed them, but time away from Texas was hard to come by as November approached. The election was a little over a month away, and her campaign was not doing as well as she would have hoped. There were so many disappointments, and CJ did not know how much more public scrutiny she could take. She was not as untouchable as she had once been, and her every movement was dissected by a conservative press.

Donna gently touched CJ's arm. "You need to think back to when you decided to do this. We may only be five weeks away from Election Day, but it's actually a lot of time for you to put out the message that you want people to hear. This is not all stress and fighting with Toby. This is about making a difference."

CJ sighed at Donna's attempted pep-talk, knowing that the younger woman had a point. She missed her babies, and she wanted so badly to truly repair her relationship with John. They hardly had anything to say to each other when they found the time to speak on the phone, and CJ wasn't so sure that her husband's resentment was gone. Hot tears sprung up in her eyes as she wondered about the future. Would she trade in her marriage for a place on the Senate floor?

"It's going to be all right, CJ," Donna's voice came quietly. "I've seen you move mountains."

CJ looked up and swallowed. "Don't make any bets this time, kiddo."

With that, the First Lady spun around and headed back into the campaign headquarters, leaving Donna alone on the sidewalk.

~*~ 8

The sun was rising in orange and red tones over the flat, dry Texas horizon, and as John sat up in bed, he watched the television on low volume. He'd gotten in from Washington the night before with the kids, and while he was glad to be home, there was an air of apprehension lingering about the coming twenty four hours. In the bed beside John, CJ was curled into the blankets, her back to him as she slept heavily. The kids were already up; John could hear Addy plinking away at the piano in the formal parlor, her skills growing with each lesson that she took. Riley was being mischievous, every so often banging down on a random set of keys. Addy's ensuing scream would precede Riley's raucous laughter, and then the cycle would start all over again. The kids were thrilled with their unexpected long weekend, having been allowed to miss school on both Monday and Tuesday of this first full week in November.

It was Election Day. John sighed. He'd made it to the end of many successful campaigns - it had been a long time since Hoynes had lost at the voting booth. Nerves filled his stomach as the local news talked about the high profile Senate race going on in his home state. In the past two weeks since the debates, CJ had stepped up her campaign effort. With Josh, Donna and Toby, they had put twenty hours a day into fighting for the Senate. They had covered some of their early losses and for two weeks had been running neck and neck with Jordan Carney. The two candidates' polling numbers were almost equal given the margin of error, especially after CJ's impressive showing at the debate podium. Tonight, it could be anybody's win, and John hated that he could not predict anything with any kind of certainty.

After an entire year of knowing that his wife wanted to run for the Senate, John still found it hard to imagine her with that title, with that position, one that had formerly been his. CJ Cregg Hoynes, the Senator from Texas. It was a concept foreign to his reality, and while John wished her every professional fulfillment, he also wanted his wife back in his life for good.

"Oh, turn that off, John," CJ murmured, startling John as she rolled over in the bed.

The set went dark. "You ready for today?" John grinned, sliding down into the bed, closer to CJ. The campaign had put its share of strain on their marriage, and they were only slowly resuming normal relations.

CJ closed her eyes and sighed, head leaned back against the pillow. "No. But I don't think I could campaign for another minute. Whatever happens today, I'm taking two weeks off to do nothing but sleep."

"You put your whole self into this," John noted, admiration in his voice. He wanted to touch her, but lately it had seemed out of bounds. "You've seen Texas inside and out, dozens of times over."

"And still it doesn't guarantee a win," CJ mumbled, the six o'clock dawn sun grating on her eyes as it streamed through the blinds. "It shouldn't have been this hard."

John stretched his arms and stifled a yawn. "Carney's a consummate politician. You are too, but the levels are different. You did all you could. Let today come and go."

CJ smiled and murmured, her eyes still shut, "Yeah. I will. "

~*~

"Yo! Can I get an update?"

"Josh!" Donna hissed, yanking on Josh's pant leg. "Get the hell down off the chair! You're gonna fall, and when you do, I'm *not* taking care of you!"

Josh ran his hand through his hair and scowled as he remained atop the chair, purposely ignoring his wife. "Excuse me! Hello? I'm not going to ask you people again! I need an update on the exit polls! NOW!"

Most of the staff in the Fort Worth campaign headquarters simply ignored the campaign manager in favor of sorting documents and organizing desks. Regardless of the outcome of the night's election, this building would no longer be of use to CJ's staff.

"Updates, right here," Toby said casually as he walked through the main doors. Andi and their nine year old twins were in tow, though lingering in the threshold. Toby looked curiously around the bustling headquarters before strangely eyeing Josh Lyman. "Why are on the chair?"

Josh's sigh was full of stress as he hopped down. "What do the updates say?"

Toby rolled his eyes and threw the file on the desk. "It doesn't mean anything, you know that, right? It's only three o'clock in the afternoon. There are still six hours of polling time left. And that's when most of the state will vote."

"Ah, shit," Josh muttered, stalking away. Toby was very cautious about predictions, but he always talked about good exit polls. Thus, the most recent numbers were likely not in CJ's favor.

Donna put her hands on her hips and turned to Toby and Andi. "He's definitely ready for this one to be over. Can you tell?"

Toby looked tired, but his words were measured. "I think we need to be patient, trust the voters in this state, and wait until the polls close later."

Andi smiled and checked her watch. "Where's the First Lady?"

"She's at the ranch with the President and the kids. Stacy, Margaret, and Carol are over in the guest house with the makeshift command center. All of the computers in this room are being disabled as we speak," Donna said, looking around the huge office. It was becoming increasingly bare. "You remembered about the barbecue, right?"

Andi nodded and glanced at Toby. "Well, we're going to head over there early. I heard that Sam's down with the President."

Donna grinned. "Tonight's going to be one hell of a party when we win this thing."

Toby, who had been talking to his son and daughter, immediately snapped his head up. "Donna!! What did we talk about?"

Donna grinned. "Yeah, yeah. I know. The wrath. From high atop the thing."

Andi chuckled while Toby drew up in defense. "Hey, two speeches are done. That's all I've got to say."

~*~

It was John Hoynes' custom to spend Election Day relaxing with his family and staff - he rarely made campaign appearances while the voters were headed to the booths. CJ took on the same practice, and as dinnertime fell over Texas, the pool deck filled with the smells of barbecue.

The weather was still warm enough for swimming, but the pool was only a glowing source of light amongst the dusky deep blue evening sky. As John presided over the huge barbecue pit, Toby sat alone at a table with his laptop. Josh and Donna were on and off of cell phone calls with county campaign staff, and Sam stood with Bruce to speculate the outcomes of other elections going on nationwide. Carol and Margaret were entertaining Addy, Riley and the twins, while Stacy kept careful track of the news on large televisions that they'd wheeled onto the deck. CJ was on a lounge across from Andi, mostly trying to distract herself from what would come in two hours time. Campaign aides and volunteers floated in and out of the ranch while staff set up the buffet. The Secret Service agents kept ever-watchful eyes while the hour grew later and later.

"Win or no win, I think you ran an amazing campaign," Andi commented, sipping on chilled wine. "Everything you did was a wonderful example to women thinking about entering politics."

CJ tucked her caramel-colored hair behind her ear and sighed. "I hope more of us try for it," she murmured.

"Well, you're going to be one of the ones in a history book," Andi chuckled. "First Lady-slash-Senator."

CJ cringed. "And if I lose, someone will write another book about how my career has somehow affected my marriage."

CJ and Andi shared a laugh. There had been countless books written since Hoynes had taken office, all on the topic of CJ and John's marriage. There were some that centered on their late-in-life joint venture, others on the pressures of having children and high-powered careers...even more about gender power in marriages. CJ and John seemed to fit many an example.

"I'll tell you, Andi, part of me just wants to get back to being a mom," CJ said, crossing her stocking-covered legs as she looked over at her children. "I've missed them so much through all of this."

"Now you understand why I never ran for re-election in 2004," Andi commented. "Sometimes doing both is impossible - and face it. You're always going to be a mom first, Senator second."

CJ smiled wanly and refocused her eyes on Andi. "Well, I guess that's not really up to me, now is it?"

Andi stood up as John announced that dinner was ready. She looked slyly down at CJ, a humored grin covering her lips. "You're right. It's up to the good people of Texas."

~*~

"Hey, CJ... Welcome to the club."

CJ turned around and found Sam waiting there. Toby was polishing up the concession speech and staffers buzzed around the ranch living room, waiting for the First Lady to be ready. While she was disappointed, it was really only numbness that CJ felt. Eyeing the well-dressed Sam, CJ found her voice. "What club?"

Sam grinned with half of his mouth as he took CJ's hand gently in his. He gave it a supportive squeeze. "Former Bartlet senior staffers who have lost elections."

At this, CJ let out a chuckle that sounded more like a sob. Flinging herself into Sam's embrace, CJ couldn't help but smile. "We're rather exclusive, then," she murmured into Sam's shoulder.

"Yeah," Sam chuckled, squeezing his friend tightly.

"Damn-it," Josh moaned as CJ and Sam parted. "I hate these ones the worst."

CJ looked tiredly at her campaign manager. He had done so much work for her, and it was hard to believe that it was all over. It was hard to believe that they were done, and it was hard to know that there was nothing to look forward to. "There's more than one kind of loss?" she asked drolly, taking a deep breath of air.

"Fifty-one, forty-nine, CJ. So close, so close." Josh's voice dropped. "I'll always think that there's more I could and maybe should have done."

CJ saw her husband approaching with her children, both impeccably dressed in fresh clothing. They were headed to the Dallas Hilton for a concession speech that would be televised over Texas and likely across the nation, too. Her campaign was of widespread interest, and CJ knew that the whole country was already talking about her loss.

"Josh, they don't come much better than you," CJ said with feeling, squeezing his elbow as she moved past her two friends.

John smiled gently, his face full of quiet sympathy as his wife approached. He touched CJ's elbow and leaned closer to her. "Donna says the stylist is ready. You've got twenty minutes."

CJ sighed. They would fix up her hair and her face, and then she'd get on camera. "Thanks, John," she murmured. Later they would have a long talk, but as CJ slipped past her family, she could only focus on the fact that her campaign had not been a success.

Donna, Carol, and Margaret were waiting in the deluxe bathroom where a professional stylist was waiting. CJ had used Lauren many times, and the hip, thirty-something woman always made the First Lady feel old.

"I'm gonna give you a quick lift," Lauren grinned, gesturing at CJ's hair. "Then we'll touch up the makeup. Ten minutes," she decided as CJ settled into the chair.

As the stylist made quick work of CJ's easily-pliable hair, the First Lady looked at her three staffers in the mirror. "Crowd's ready and waiting?"

Donna nodded solemnly as she buttoned her suit jacket. "Stacy's already down there. The press is set."

"Secret Service?" CJ sighed, feeling suddenly very tired.

"Securing everything," Margaret insisted.

Carol looked between Donna and Margaret, suddenly worried about CJ's mood. Finally, the brunette cleared her throat. "You know, CJ, it's better to have lost an election than to have never run in the first place."

CJ chuckled wryly, her smile abruptly turning genuine as she met Carol's eyes through their reflections. "Well, at least we know we tried."

Donna grinned and Margaret nodded. "That we did," the redhead said firmly. "That we did."

~*~ 9

Josh and Donna stood shoulder to shoulder in the back of the Hilton ballroom, watching as CJ spoke to a crowd of supportive Texas Democrats. Behind her on the dais, the President stood unassumingly to the side with Addy in his arms, Riley beside him. It was quite a picture to see someone as powerful as John Hoynes on a stage but out of the spotlight. Josh and Donna knew that the campaign had been hard for the First Couple, and they were glad to see the support John was giving his wife in public.

"She's amazing," Donna murmured, leaning closer to Josh as the couple watched CJ. She was beautiful and glowing, but more than that, her words were gracious, firmly accepting that she had just lost a hard-fought election. There was no pity, only triumph in the fact that she had tried.

"She really is," Josh agreed with a smile, never taking his eyes off of the stage as he slipped hand through Donna's.

The speech came to an end, all of CJ's class and poise coming to a head. The gathered supporters cheered her loudly as CJ thanked them and walked to the edge of the stage. After waving to the crowd one last time, CJ turned around and took John's free arm, allowing him to lead her off of the stage.

They had planned no encore appearance onto the stage, and so CJ was able to ignore the excited cheering from the gathered supporters. Kissing first her daughter's cheek and then her son's forehead, CJ looked to John. He tightened his arm around her waist and their mouths chastely met in a light kiss.

"You're going to have to do this again sometime," John grinned, his voice barely audible over the cheering from the audience.

"With a different end result, maybe," CJ chuckled, exhaustion coursing through her body. She was glad that this day was over, though she knew that in the morning she would wish for another chance.

The din began to fade as they walked through the kitchen towards the utility exit. The First Family and their large Secret Service detail were met by Sam, Toby, Donna, Josh, and Stacy, with Carol and Margaret following not far behind.

The kitchen was empty and clean, brightly glowing and polished. John set Addy down on the floor as CJ gathered her group of friends around her. Her face was lined and tired, but her smile was genuine and familiar.

"I know I said 'thank you' back at the barbecue," CJ said, her eyes sweeping over her friends. "But I wanted to tell you all again." CJ's voice broke as she stepped further into the close-knit ring that her friends had made around her. "Nothing has ever meant more to me than the bunch of you. Thank for from the bottom of my heart, not only for working on this campaign, but for being my friends. I love you all so much."

John held his daughter's hand and kept an arm around Riley as they watched CJ hug each of her friends in turn. The idea to run for the Senate that had been born in CJ's mind was now ending in a vast, echoing kitchen full of brightly gleaming pots, pans, and stainless steel refrigerators. John found it oddly comforting. He'd exited so many campaign appearances at hotel ballrooms by way of the kitchen.

CJ turned back to her husband, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Let's go home," she whispered with a wavering smile.

John Hoynes took his wife's arm and led her out of the kitchen, outside towards the waiting car. He knew she'd be back. He knew she'd have another day. But for now, the Texas sun was setting and it was time for the First Family to return to Washington.

~*~

Toby was tired as he boarded the plane. After months of riding around Texas on a bus, Toby was thrilled to be transported by something that moved faster. Never mind that it wasn't Air Force One: they were going home to New York, and they couldn't get there soon enough.

After the twins had been settled in their seats, Andi moved across the aisle and belted herself in beside Toby. His eyes were closed; his head leaned back against the seat. The redhead gently covered his hand with her own, waiting for some acknowledgement of the gesture. "Honey?"

Toby slowly turned his head towards his wife and smiled. "I'm here."

"Good. I didn't want to lose you just yet," Andi grinned. "What a day, hmm?"

Toby hummed in response. "I can't say I'm thrilled with the outcome, but CJ was a novice and she did very well."

"A novice? Just because she hadn't run before doesn't make her a novice," Andi countered, leaning back against the seat as the captain announced takeoff. "CJ knows what she's doing. Sometimes it doesn't line up, that's all."

"I'm proud of her. She'll call me up tomorrow wanting to know how far in advance we need to start scheduling her next campaign," Toby moaned, his good nature coming through.

The couple was silent as the plane vibrated and shook with takeoff. After the seatbelt light turned off, Andi cleared her throat. "So, what are you thinking about doing now?"

Toby's silence was not a good indicator to Andi. She had been biding her time before asking this potentially sensitive question, and it seemed as though now had been the wrong moment.

"Why do I have to think about that now?" Toby finally grumbled. "We're not even home yet."

Andi took a deep breath. She knew how her husband could be when he came off of one project and none other appeared on his horizon. "You know, CJ was talking to me this afternoon - at the barbecue. She was saying how there are all these awful books out there written about her and the President."

Toby slyly cast his glance towards Andi. "What are you saying?"

"Oh, I'm not really saying anything," Andi responded with a grin.

"CJ would kill me."

"You've known her longest!" Andi immediately jumped in, enthusiastically turning her body towards Toby. "You've known her longer than any of 'em, Toby!"

"Doesn't mean I should write a book," he muttered, frowning under his dark beard. A beat passed. "It would be a good one, though, wouldn't it?"

"That's what I'm sayin'," Andi said, smiling with satisfaction. She knew she'd gotten her message across. "Somebody oughta tell the real story."

Toby was silent, his eyes closed, his thoughts whirling. A slow smile began to creep across his face. He'd just decided on his next project.

~*~

John smiled at his wife, amused because for once, she was not flitting around and unpacking everything like she usually did upon arrival back at the White House. Simply perched in an easy chair, CJ was staring around the Residence sitting room, aware that she had been away for too long.

"Are you okay, Sweetheart? Hungry, maybe?" John asked, kneeling down on the floor beside the chair. He rested his hands on CJ's stocking-covered knees and looked up at his wife. "Or how about a cup of coffee?"

CJ met John's eyes and smiled as she put her hands over his. "I'm fine, John. But thank you."

"You don't look exactly fine," John asserted, trying not to push. He was, however, worried that his wife was going to have a delayed reaction to her loss - and that it was not going to be a pleasant night ahead.

CJ sighed and nodded. "No, I am okay. I was just thinking about the past year and how much running around I did. I think I'm going to take it easy for now. I want to be a real mom for the next two years. After that, I suppose we'll move to Texas for good and I can go to work again."

John stroked the skin of CJ's palm as he looked up at her face. "Don't worry about anything now, Claudia. We've got a lot of time before we leave the White House. For now, you just need to take a rest and congratulate yourself on a job well done."

CJ was silent for a moment before she looked at John and smirked. "You do know that I lost, right?"

Grinning, John got up off the floor, pulling his wife along with him. Once they were settled into each other's embrace, John sighed against CJ's hair. "A long time ago, Danny Concannon was sniffing around a story. Bartlet taking me out to lunch during a cabinet meeting, something like that. The details are fuzzy now that I think of it, but I do remember when you came to me looking for your own fight."

CJ hummed, rocking in John's arms. She had no recollection of what he was remembering, but John's body was warm and his cologne still smelled spicy. CJ was suddenly very sleepy and the sound of her husband's voice was soothing.

"I said a few things about respecting my office," John was recounting, "but I remember having the strangest thought in my head. I thought, God, this woman hates me. She hates me! She thinks I'm an idiot, and she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

CJ snorted and tightened her arms around John's middle. "Liar. I have no idea what you're talking about, but I do know that you never thought I was the most gorgeous thing you'd ever seen until at least...well, I don't know," CJ's yawn faded into a sleepy smile. "I guess it doesn't matter. We've got each other now."

John turned CJ's head until his lips could capture hers. "Yes. And I love you very much, even though you're not a Senator."

CJ laughed and kissed her husband again. "And I love you very much even though you're not..."

"You've got nothing to say there, do you?" John smirked and grinned, aware that he'd easily won the teasing battle this time. "Hah!"

CJ sighed and allowed herself to fall back into John's arms. "Hey, I'm worn out. Give me a few days rest and I'll think of something you're not."

"Be my guest," John smiled, kissing CJ's lips softly. "Let's check on the kids. They were getting into pajamas about twenty minutes ago."

CJ agreed and they walked arm in arm down the hallway towards the bedrooms. The sound of their chattering voices filtered out of Addy's room, and CJ grinned up at John as they stopped in the doorway.

Addy was standing in her pink pajamas before a captive audience of stuffed animals. She had obviously ran and won her own campaign, as the little girl was waving and blowing kisses as she over and over announced, "Thank you! Thank you!" Riley was sitting to the side enthusiastically scribbling on a piece of white paper with markers.

He ripped a piece of scotch tape off of the dispenser and hopped up. "Here, Adds, hang this over there on the wall. Then it'll be more realistic."

"Like Mom and Dad?" Addy asked, momentarily abandoning her crowd of furry supporters.

"Just like that," Riley grinned, watching as his sister taped a brightly colored 'Addy 4 President' sign to the wall.

Addy proudly stepped back and looked at her sign, her hands on her tiny hips. Maybe she would give up the piano and be a politician. Dreams floated through the four-year-old's head. Riley stood beside her tapped his chin with his finger. He didn't want anything to do with politics when he got older, but his sister was cute. "Now all you need, Addison Elizabeth Hoynes, is to grow a few feet."

John and CJ, unbeknownst to the two children, had been watching the entire scene. As she leaned against her husband, CJ had to chuckle at the adorable game that the kids were playing. John was amused himself, but mostly filled with happiness and joy as he realized that his family was back together again, at last. He leaned his head towards CJ's ear.

"What she could use is bit of Josh Lyman and a little touch of Toby Ziegler. She'll be in office before we know it," John whispered, a big grin over his face.

CJ giggled, slipped her arm around her husband's waist, and pulled him out into the hallway. "We'll let them play for a little while longer," she decided with a smile, and she shut the door behind her.

END