XVI

"Hey, Toby." CJ gave him a tired smile as she perched on the end of his desk. He gave her a nod, still typing.

She let out a slow sigh. "So. It looks like there's another scandal looming on the horizon."

"Yeah."

"How is that we do this?" she wondered aloud. "It's some kind of a law. I'm gonna name it. I'm gonna call it Cregg's Law of Political Equilibrium. No administration, no matter how well organised, shall ever achieve more than seven consecutive days without disaster striking."

"Catchy," Toby observed.

"I thought so." She gave him a sideways look. "So why are you so quiet?"

"I had a silencer put on my keyboard," he said dryly.

"The fact that your keyboard isn't flying across the bullpen to bounce off the nearest wall is pretty surprising, Toby," she pointed out. "I'd say that even in Ziegler -vision, this rates as pretty important."

"It is," Toby agreed. He gave a minute shrug. "So are other things. And right now, I'm handling those first."

He continued typing, while she gave him a speculative look.

"Hey, Donna."

"Sam."

"Is Josh in his-?"

"Yeah."

Sam stopped moving in bemusement as she rose out of her chair to block his way. He gestured towards Josh's door.

"I thought you said-?"

"Yes, he's in his office. But no, you can't see him." She gave him the steely look he was familiar with from the days of Josh's post-shooting convalescence, and the Rules.

He frowned in honest bewilderment. "Is he in a meeting?"

"No."

"Then why can't I-?"

"Because you look like you're going in there to be righteous and noble, and if you're going in there to be righteous and noble, I'm going to kick your ass."

He blinked. "That's not supposed to be a good thing?" he wondered, a twist of bitterness escaping into the tone despite himself.

Donna's expression grew more pleading. "Sam... You know this is tearing Josh apart. And you're just gonna go in there, and you're going to keep telling him how standing for this is against all the principles you both stand for, as if he didn't know that already, and you're going to tell him he should do something when he knows he can't do something and frankly? He doesn't need that right now."

Sam deflated somewhat, knowing she was right. He was pissed as hell at Hoynes for putting them in such a crappy position, but offloading on Josh wouldn't help. Josh had worked for Hoynes before he'd jumped ship to join Bartlet, and he still felt guilty for deserting him. No doubt he'd already found some elaborate way to blame this sorry mess all on himself.

"Yeah," he agreed with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.

He leaned back against the wall, and Donna gave him a tentative smile. Sam had to smile back. Some days, he could only wish he had a Donna of his own. She might seem quiet and retiring, but get her in your corner and she'd take on all comers. He'd never forgotten seeing her put Toby in his place one day when he was riding Josh too hard on the campaign. At the time, he hadn't known anybody did that to Toby and lived.

He wondered vaguely what had happened to Cathy. His old assistant had left the White House... when? He couldn't quite remember, now. Years ago. He'd meant to keep touch with her at her new job, but he hadn't really done it.

"Thinking of shaving my beard," he confessed randomly, after a moment.

"Yeah?" She looked sideways at him.

"I liked it at first, but the thrill is gone."

"Toby stopped teasing you?" she smirked.

"Yeah. And now it's, you know. Just this thing on my face."

Donna regarded him thoughtfully. "I kind of like it," she opined. "But it doesn't look like you," she added after a moment.

"Some days I don't feel like me," he admitted with a sigh. Today had been a rough reminder of what it was like to feel all your optimism dashed on the rocks of disillusionment. He'd liked Hoynes, well enough. He wasn't the real thing, but he was nowhere near the worst possibility, either.

Turned out, he was just another politician. Sam remembered how he'd been brought up to believe that politics was all sleaze and scandal-mongering.

Well, I guess you'd know all about sleaze, dad. He rubbed his face.

Donna smiled softly and touched his arm, a silent gesture of support. He looked across at her.

"So." He managed an incredulous grin. "You really gave the president a kitten?"

"I offered him my resignation. He wouldn't take it."

Leo looked up at him, and nodded slowly. "That's pretty much what I expected," he said mildly.

John narrowed his eyes at him. "You're making a big mistake, Leo," he warned.

The Chief of Staff shrugged, and straight up in his seat. "Well, it's not gonna be the first, and it most definitely won't be the last. We all screw up, John. It happens. We'll deal with it."

John knew he was referring to his own fresh bout with alcoholism in the previous year. But- "It's not the same thing."

Leo looked him in the eye, and smiled wryly. "Oh, it might not look like the same thing," he corrected softly. "But you and I both know different."

He closed his eyes briefly. Leo knew. Of course he did. He knew what it was like to be that close to the edge of self-control, to be perpetually reaching out for... for something.

There was no excuse for cheating on his wife, for recklessly endangering his position within the Democratic party, for being such a damn fool. There was no excuse... but Leo understood the reasons.

"What's going to happen with Selena?" he asked finally. Leo pulled a face, and sat back in his chair.

"I'll talk to her," he said simply, and left it that.

John straightened up. "My resignation is still on the table," he reminded him.

"If we wanted it, we'd take it," Leo said shortly. And he knew that was the end of that discussion.

Her husband was lying back on the couch when she found him. Jed smiled wanly as she leaned over to feel his forehead with concern, and didn't struggle too much when she offered a hand to help him sit up.

"You all right, babe?" she asked gently. The time for chiding him for over- exerting himself was not now.

He nodded, but without his usual exasperation at the question. "A little too much talking," he conceded hoarsely.

"Okay. Let's get you to bed."

"Okay," he agreed.

He groaned slightly as she tugged him too his feet; no doubt his back was paining him. That old ache always rose up to attack when he was tired or under the weather. " I'll give you a back rub, how about that?" Abbey suggested, making a circle with her hand to back up the intention, and he rumbled vaguely in appreciation. "Yeah. Come on, honey."

"Where's the cat?" he asked as they approached the Residence, and she had to smile at him.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with 'my cat'?" she teased.

He gave her a look.

Abbey smirked, and relented. "I left him curled up on the chair. On top of your sweater, I might add. I told you not to let him have it, he's gonna think all your clothes are fair game now."

"Like certain other people I could mention," he mumbled. "You're always stealing my sweaters."

"They're cosy, and they smell like you," she shrugged, perhaps moved to be a tad more sentimental than usual by his weakened condition.

"Well, if you want that, you should come and cuddle me," he informed her, and she laughed lightly.

"Next time you're addressing the nation, I'll do go right ahead and that, babe."

"You never know. It might increase my support."

Entering the Residence, he went across to their tiny feline guest, and stirred its fur absently with a gentle finger. The kitten yawned and blinked at him.

"You need a name, fella," Jed told him softly. "Can't have a kitten without a name."

Abbey smiled fondly, and leaned against his shoulder. "Still sorry I forced you to get a pet?"

He said nothing, but smiled with his eyes. She kissed him.

"Honey..." she said quietly, "if playing with a kitten for two minutes out of your day helps you relax when your blood pressure says you should relax, we'll fill the entire White House with kittens."

Jed smiled. "I think housekeeping might object," he said dryly.

"Who's in charge here?" Abbey folded her arms.

He pretended to ponder. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think it might be you."

"And don't you forget it." She trailed her fingers from his shoulder down his arm, and took his hand. "Now come on, babe. I still owe you that back rub."

He allowed her to tow him towards the bedroom without complaint.