Title : What the future holds
Author : Géraldine
E-mail : lazy.gege@ibelgique.com
Category : AU, drama, and oh, yes, there will be some H/C and some angst...
Characters : Sam, Ainsley, Josh, Toby, CJ
Rating : PG
Summary : I hate summaries... Let's just say that Sam resigns from his DCD job. And it's just the beginning.
Disclaimer: They belong to Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Productions, NBC, Warner Brothers, and I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. So obviously, they don't belong to me. I'm not making money for this story, I just have too much free time on my hands. So I'm begging : don't sue.
Spoilers : To be sure, seasons one to four
Feed back : Please
Notes : Goes AU around the middle of season 3 - somewhere between "100 000 airplanes" and "Hartsfield's landing"
WARNING... Just so you know... there will be a character death down the line - and no, I didn't kill Sam.
Acknowledgements :
Several people helped me with this, and earned my eternal gratitude.
Staili was the first person to read the story, and offered me advice and encouragement. I probably wouldn't have gathered the guts to post this fic if she hadn't been so supportive.
Emily beta'd the story and made sure I said what I wanted to say. If there are still mistakes, they're my own fault - I don't always listen to my betas, even though I know I should.
Coupdepam helped me decide on a title - I'd still be scratching my head without her.
*****
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Géraldine
*****
PROLOGUE
January 2023, White House
Sam was watching the party around him, smiling to his friends, nodding to people, and trying to pinpoint the exact moment when it had started - the moment that had changed his life, the moment that had triggered the chain of events that had led him to this place, at this time.
Was it when Josh had stood at the doorstep of a conference room, dripping water on the carpet, wearing the biggest smile he'd ever seen on his face?
Was it during President Bartlet's first Inauguration?
Was it when Ainsley had kicked his ass on Capitol Beat?
Maybe it was when the Governor of California had asked him to join his campaign team.
Maybe it was when Toby had talked to him, shortly after Ben's funeral, to ask him to run for President. "Too soon," Sam had answered. "Maybe next time. Let me, I don't know, get used to the idea."
Toby had left disappointed, but knowing that Sam would think about it.
The people of California had elected him again as their Governor, and he had had four more years to think about it. To get used to the idea.
He wasn't sure that that conversation had been the starting point, though.
Maybe it was the first time he had said "My name is Samuel Seaborn and I accept your nomination for the Presidency of the United States."
And now, eight years later, here they all were, saying goodbye to the White House. Again.
Sam wasn't worried about the young members of the team - they'd survive, follow their path, do some good, make mistakes, just like Sam and the others had done.
It was the 'old guard' he was worried about. Toby, CJ, himself.
They were the ones it was killing.
The young would be back soon enough, but it was the last time his friends and he would be here, he was almost sure of it.
President Young had already told him he would be looking for his advice, but Sam knew there would be little he could teach him - just like Bartlet hadn't been able to help him all that much when he had been sworn in. Charlie would have to find his own way, just like Sam had done.
And tomorrow, he'd be a regular citizen again, taking care of his kids, writing his memoirs... God, when had he become a stereotype, he wondered.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot he could do after... that. He was the President, he was going to have a hard time topping that up.
But that was for tomorrow. Now, he was watching his staff say goodbye to each other. Again.
CJ appeared behind him, seemingly out of nowhere.
She smiled, but there were tears in her eyes. "We still have tonight, right?" she asked.
"We do," he answered. "We do."
Author : Géraldine
E-mail : lazy.gege@ibelgique.com
Category : AU, drama, and oh, yes, there will be some H/C and some angst...
Characters : Sam, Ainsley, Josh, Toby, CJ
Rating : PG
Summary : I hate summaries... Let's just say that Sam resigns from his DCD job. And it's just the beginning.
Disclaimer: They belong to Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Productions, NBC, Warner Brothers, and I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. So obviously, they don't belong to me. I'm not making money for this story, I just have too much free time on my hands. So I'm begging : don't sue.
Spoilers : To be sure, seasons one to four
Feed back : Please
Notes : Goes AU around the middle of season 3 - somewhere between "100 000 airplanes" and "Hartsfield's landing"
WARNING... Just so you know... there will be a character death down the line - and no, I didn't kill Sam.
Acknowledgements :
Several people helped me with this, and earned my eternal gratitude.
Staili was the first person to read the story, and offered me advice and encouragement. I probably wouldn't have gathered the guts to post this fic if she hadn't been so supportive.
Emily beta'd the story and made sure I said what I wanted to say. If there are still mistakes, they're my own fault - I don't always listen to my betas, even though I know I should.
Coupdepam helped me decide on a title - I'd still be scratching my head without her.
*****
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Géraldine
*****
PROLOGUE
January 2023, White House
Sam was watching the party around him, smiling to his friends, nodding to people, and trying to pinpoint the exact moment when it had started - the moment that had changed his life, the moment that had triggered the chain of events that had led him to this place, at this time.
Was it when Josh had stood at the doorstep of a conference room, dripping water on the carpet, wearing the biggest smile he'd ever seen on his face?
Was it during President Bartlet's first Inauguration?
Was it when Ainsley had kicked his ass on Capitol Beat?
Maybe it was when the Governor of California had asked him to join his campaign team.
Maybe it was when Toby had talked to him, shortly after Ben's funeral, to ask him to run for President. "Too soon," Sam had answered. "Maybe next time. Let me, I don't know, get used to the idea."
Toby had left disappointed, but knowing that Sam would think about it.
The people of California had elected him again as their Governor, and he had had four more years to think about it. To get used to the idea.
He wasn't sure that that conversation had been the starting point, though.
Maybe it was the first time he had said "My name is Samuel Seaborn and I accept your nomination for the Presidency of the United States."
And now, eight years later, here they all were, saying goodbye to the White House. Again.
Sam wasn't worried about the young members of the team - they'd survive, follow their path, do some good, make mistakes, just like Sam and the others had done.
It was the 'old guard' he was worried about. Toby, CJ, himself.
They were the ones it was killing.
The young would be back soon enough, but it was the last time his friends and he would be here, he was almost sure of it.
President Young had already told him he would be looking for his advice, but Sam knew there would be little he could teach him - just like Bartlet hadn't been able to help him all that much when he had been sworn in. Charlie would have to find his own way, just like Sam had done.
And tomorrow, he'd be a regular citizen again, taking care of his kids, writing his memoirs... God, when had he become a stereotype, he wondered.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot he could do after... that. He was the President, he was going to have a hard time topping that up.
But that was for tomorrow. Now, he was watching his staff say goodbye to each other. Again.
CJ appeared behind him, seemingly out of nowhere.
She smiled, but there were tears in her eyes. "We still have tonight, right?" she asked.
"We do," he answered. "We do."