Title: Leo's Dilemma part 4/9 Private Times 5 /?
Written By: chipmunk Daylight Series
Pairing: Leo/Margaret
Rating: R
Spoilers: None really
This is AU, doesn't matter the year or the situation.
Plot Development By: Lynn lhjessome@yahoo.com
Beta and Mentor By: Lee pigletnpooh@comcast.net
Disclaimer:
The characters are from the NBC, WB, Bravo, A John Wells Prod.,
TV show, 'The West Wing'.
They own them; therefore, they do not belong to me.
They are the creation and property of Aaron Sorkin. I only borrowed them.
No copyright infringement is intended.
No monetary benefit is received or anticipated.
A 'grateful' and 'enormous' thanks, to the actors and actresses,
who portray the characters 'brilliantly' and bring them to life in my head.
May I never embarrass them or me. This is a learning process for me.
Any mistakes found in this fic, are totally my own fault and ignorance.
Feedback: I'd love it hear your opinion! PLEASE! It helps to improve my writing!
Archived at:
Summary: Leo is attacked. Margaret is a target.
Note: CURSE WARNING: Leo's hurting and not too careful with his words.
It gets a little warm in some sections.
****
Sunday Morning comes early to the White House
Leo's waking slightly and is agitated in his sleep. He's murmuring, "Margaret. Get to Margaret. Now. Margaret, Margaret?"
The First Couple wakes up and Abby quietly signals Jed to not move as they listen. This is probably the only way that they'll truthfully know if Leo's in pain or needing help. They know that once Leo realizes they're awake, he'll put on a brave front. Plus the fact that Margaret will have an instant heart attack when she see them.
"Shush, Leo," Margaret soothes Leo's sleeping worries. " I'm right here. It's OK now. You're just dreaming. It's over. We're both safe now." She kisses the side of his forehead in comfort.
"Oh. ……Margaret." Leo becomes aware that he's woken her, "I'm sorry, I was dreaming. I didn't mean to wake you." He moves his face to return her kiss, "Morning, Luv you."
"Love you, Leo." She drops another kiss to his head and reaches her hand up to smooth his hair lovingly. "I guess you were having a nightmare about last evening."
"Yeah, I guess I was," Leo admits. "I must have been dreaming about it, because I'm hurting all over."
"I know, Leo," Margaret sadly agrees. "Today will be hell for you. I'll get you the Aleve that Abby said you could have, as soon as we get up." She stretches her body carefully behind Leo to wake up.
"Yeah, I guess." Leo lifts a bandaged hand, out in front of his eyes and thoughtfully inspects it. "Margaret, I think you need to help me get up and into the bathroom. Nature is calling and I need to use it."
Abby gently slides and lays a hand on Jed's arm to keep him from getting up to help Leo, also for him to close his eyes and pretend to still be asleep. Which would make it easier for the couple on the couch, if they should notice them in the bed.
"Sure, Leo, let me get out from behind you first," Margaret schooshes to the bottom of the couch and sits up at Leo's feet to stand.
Leo slightly leans forward to give Margaret room to get out and moans, "Damn, my side is killing me. I feel like they took a baseball bat to my ribs."
Margaret has her back to the Master bed and is facing Leo on the couch, "Don't move, Leo! Let me help you lower your feet to the floor and roll you to sit up. Let me do all the work." She always has a plan for her Leo.
"Aaahhhhh, I'm up." Leo is tucking his elbow in close against his sore side. "Damn," Leo quietly swears. "I hope the first time up is the worst." Leo rubs his side, "Really, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, with you helping." He raises his eyes to hers, "I'm warning you now, Margaret. Don't you pull your back out helping me or we're both going to be 'up shit's creek with out a paddle'. I'm going to hurt anyway, so you just be careful."
"I know, Leo. We'd make a real pair, with both of us hurt." She can see that he's in a little hurry to get into the bathroom, "Up you go, Leo." Margaret slides her arm under his good arm to help him stand up and to steady him, not taking her eyes off him as he rises. He's unable to straighten all the way up, so he just turns to start to the bathroom. It might be a long trip in his condition. He slightly straightens as he walks to try and get some of the stiffness worked out. He grins as he sees the bed and its occupants, but quickly looks down, so Margaret won't notice. Almost to the bathroom, Margaret looks around to see how close they are to the door and spots the occupants in the Master bed. She sucks in a quick breath, freezes and looks back at Leo with wide, shocked and questioning eyes. He just softly chuckles and quietly calms her, "It's alright, Margaret. They're friends and they must have needed to see me for themselves." He nods his head to the side. "I should have guessed they would come home early." He gets her attention back to his urgent need for the bathroom. "Margaret, first things first." He starts painfully moving again toward the bathroom and Margaret's more than willing to get inside the door. She closes the door behind them.
"Leo, now what do we do," she asks in a mock whisper.
"Well, Margaret," he answers her softly, "I would assume that first: I need to move over to the toilet and you, then, need to decide whether to stay or go back out to get me some ice water to take the Aleve with, while I take care of business." He's being sarcastic to help her regroup.
"LEO. You know what I mean," she desperately complains in a whisper, while she helps to maneuver him and make sure he's steady by the toilet. She sees him brace himself on the wall with his forearm, "Leo, do you need me to stay and help?"
He chuckles and cheerfully whispers, "I think I can do this by myself, but volunteers 'are' always welcome." He's a little playful from dealing with the pain.
"LEO!" She's fighting to keep her voice down, "You keep being sarcastic and you'll need Abby in here to treat more than your ribs. I might just have a heart attack right here on the spot," she hisses in panic.
"Margaret, believe me, it's all right". Leo's not do doing so well, standing, "Now, are you staying, because I'm not able to stand here or wait much longer?"
"Damn! Leo, I'll go get you some water." Her hand on the doorknob, she adds, "Just take note, Leo. I'll kill you later, when you can feel the new pain," she threatens as a parting shot.
He chuckles to himself, knowing she means it!! He's going to kill Jed first.
****
Margaret slips quietly out of the bathroom and moves over to the side table where the ice bucket and pitcher of ice water are sitting. She's trying not to disturb the presumably sleeping couple in the bed. She has her back to the room when she hears a flush coming from the bathroom.
Jed and Abby decide that now is the opportune time to wake-up. Margaret turns and debates whether to calmly and quickly return to Leo or try to make some kind of a morning greeting to the First Couple in their bedroom. She just wants to melt into the carpet and not have to make the decision.
The decision is taken from her as the President sits up on the side of the bed and Abby stands from her side. "Morning, Margaret," the President cheerfully greets her as if they were in the halls of the West Wing and not across a bedroom. She's turning a nice shade of mortified red at the view of the President in his pajamas. The President rubs his face with both hands and wipes his hair back. "I think I'll go check on Leo and see if he needs any help!"
"Yes, Sir. That would be a good idea." Margaret's just glad he's leaving her vicinity and she hasn't dropped dead yet.
Abby has moved around the bed and is crossing the expanse to reach Margaret. She can tell that Margaret's in over her head, with the discovery of their presence and the events of the night before.
Margaret's totally at a loss as to how to react to the First Couple, but she is, on the other hand, so glad that Abby is here to see to Leo's medical needs.
"Come here, Margaret." Abby's holds her arms out wide to envelope Margaret in a much needed hug of womanly compassion. Her voice is full of sympathy and total understanding for Margaret's feelings of fear and anger at the attack on Leo. She's the one person in the whole country who understands the ramifications that Margaret now faces.
Margaret can't stop the tears that slide down her face, as Abby moves them both over to the couch for a few minutes of being wrapped in each other's arms. Two brave women that love, where few others have dared to risk. The price just might be too high.
Abby then gently cups, Margaret's tear stained face in her hands and sincerely tells her, "Margaret, I'm here for Leo and for you. Don't you forget that? We need each other to able to help them. I mean that. I need you as much as you need me. Abby lays her cheek to Margaret's, in mutual support.
"I'll keep that in mind, Abby." Margaret gives her a watery smile. Abby also smiles at Margaret's ease in using her name. Margaret warns her, "I just might need your support a little more often right now. I know things are going to be hard for me, for a while. You know how much I worry over my Leo."
"I know, Margaret." Abby gives her a squeeze of understanding. "It's the same way I worry over, Jed. It's universal for wives, but it seems to be escalated to greater heights with the White House." They smile in unison and in agreement.
Abby hands Margaret some tissues to dry her face and uses a few herself. "When Jed comes back out, we'll go in and see how Leo's doing this morning."
"He's really complaining about the pain this morning." Margaret explains, " I was just getting him some water to take his next dose of Aleve."
"God, help us all." Abby rolls her eyes in mock surrender, "Leo will reach new heights in the expertise of complaining, grumbling and moaning today." She smiles at Margaret, "Although, Jed did a lot of that after he ran into the tree. Now, you know why I have so many first aid supplies in his closet." Abby finally gets a chuckle out of Margaret. The comparison of the two men is so much alike.
Abby stands and holds out a hand to Margaret, "Let's get his water and knock on the door to see if the guys are presentable. They're never decent," Abby reveals. "You'll find that out as you watch them interact. It can be really fascinating." She now warns Margaret, "You just have to know how and when to reel them in." Abby smiles and she adds, "And now I have you to help me. Two against two is better odds and the good Lords knows, they need two keepers."
"Oh no, don't look at me," Margaret instructs in warning, "I'm not reeling in the President. He can be your department." She smiles a knowing smile. "I have no problem at all of reeling in Leo. I already promised to kill him, at a later date, this morning."
"See, you're right on schedule with Leo." Abby waves a hand over her shoulder to Margaret, standing behind her, "They tend to run amuck, if we didn't keep them grounded."
"Abby." Margaret sounds slightly shocked at the thought that they are responsible for keeping the President and his Chief of Staff on the 'straight and narrow'. Then again, that's what she's been doing for years, whether Leo was aware of it of not.
The thought of caring for Leo gets Margaret to worrying again, "I'll just grab the water." She directs Abby, "I think you really need to see Leo's ribs."
"Agreed," Abby replies and moves over to tap on the bathroom door.
She asks sarcastically, "You guys decent? Not that you ever have been before, but is it all right for us to enter now?"
****
While Abby and Margaret had been having their female commiseration time, Jed was checking on Leo. He found Leo, sitting on the stool in the bathroom, rubbing the wrapping on his left side. He's having a little trouble breathing with the pain, after his trip to the bathroom and for even the short while that he had been standing.
"Oh, GOD, Leo. Look at what they did to you." Jed is taken back with the condition of Leo's face.
"I'm going to be OK, Sir," Leo tries to reassure his friend.
Jed tears into him now, "Don't you dare, Sir, me. Not now, not with you sitting in my bathroom, beaten and wearing my Notre Dame shirt." Jed says in mock anger and pleased to have Leo in his shirt. He just has to break out into a smile.
"You're really getting a kick out of that, aren't you, Jed?" Leo flips back at him.
The President gets misty eyed as he looks at Leo's damaged face, as he says his name. He cups Leo's beaten and bruised face. "I am so sorry, Leo. If I weren't here in the White House, they wouldn't have tried to grab you to get to me." He's gazing at his best friends face as he apologizes for the pain of Leo's suffering, because of his connection, to him. He leans forward and places a tender kiss on Leo's forehead. His way of asking for forgiveness and to show he wishes it was better for Leo.
Leo scolds and lectures, "Jed, this is not your fault. It just goes with the territory and we staked us out a great piece of territory in this country." Jed stands silent, letting Leo have his say. "Remember, I'm the one that started you on the road to the White House. It was my idea. You just agreed that it was what we needed to do. We got in this together."
"Yeah." Jed grins at his partner in adventure, since they were young. " We've always have gotten into trouble together." Jed spreads his arms out, "We just keep getting into bigger types of problems, each time."
"Don't you say it!" Leo knows just what his friend will ask and has said a thousand times to him.
"What's next?" The President couldn't resist saying it for his best friend. They both grin at the comment. Leo gives a little moan and raises the back of his bandaged hand to his sore mouth.
They hear Abby at the door and Leo moans again. Jed just looks at Leo with compassion and leans his body sideways toward Leo to say in warning, "You know, we have to let her in. She's not going to go away till she gives you the once over or maybe twice over, knowing Abby."
"Thanks, Jed, for the pep talk," Leo lets him know he's no help. "Let them in, like I've not suffered enough." Leo states for the record, "Those two are going to kill me with kindness, before this is all over."
"Yeah," Jed agrees, "but, what a way to go!"
The women arrive and Abby has eyes only for Leo, as he sits on the stool.
"Hey, Abby," Leo greets and teases her, trying to get on her good side. "Couldn't resist seeing me in person. Torturing me by long distance wasn't enough, I bet."
"No, Leo," Abby honestly answers. "I see from the Notre Dame shirt that you're wearing that Jed's tormenting you as well."
"Yeah," Leo answers with mock anger and a grin, " he's just delighted."
Before Abby gets started, Margaret hands Leo the glass of ice water to hold between his hands and drops the two Aleve into his mouth for him to take. After the caplets are swallowed, she takes the glass from him.
Abby starts her exam and takes Leo's face in her hands. She examines it by turning him into the light. "Well, the face is as I expected: bruising and a few small cuts. Some swelling, but I hope the compresses kept some of that down. We have no way of telling if there is any hairline fractures, without an x-ray." Leo growls. She smiles and jokes to Leo, "You're going to look like a rainbow in a few days." She glances between the two men, "You two guys are going to be hard pressed to keep anyone from asking questions, especially the Press." She steps back and instructs, "Jed, I need your help to get this shirt off."
"That's not going to be as easy this morning, guys." Leo sounds a little afraid in his warning, "I really hurt and I don't think I can raise that arm at all."
Margaret steps forward, "The easiest way is to pull the bottom up and slip out his right arm first. You stretch the shirt over the side of his head and then slide it down the left arm, without him lifting it."
Jed chuckles, "Leave to Margaret to have a system worked out."
Leo agrees, "That's one of the many things I love about her. That's my Margaret." Jed's working on removing the shirt, "Damn, Jed, take it easy. My face hurts. In fact, I hurt all over." Leo's final remark as he emerges from the shirt, "I'm getting too old for this."
Jed confesses, "I said that about running into trees, after the last time."
Abby's looking at the wrapping on his ribs, "Leo, I need you to stand up, so I can unwrap you and get a good look at your ribs."
"Jed, what 'is it' about these two females?" Leo explains his complaint, "Every chance they get, they have us half stripped."
"I don't know." Jed grins and he adds, "But I'm not complaining."
"Yeah, me neither," Leo admits as he watches the exam in the mirror. "Damn, Abby, you take it easy."
"I'm the Doctor here, Leo," Abby explains in small words, to the man who won't go to GW. "I need to look for fractures. So far, it seems to be as we suspected: bruised ribs some of the ribs may have hairline fractures, but I can't know for sure without an x-ray." She gives her next remarks to Margaret, "The ice packs and the wrapping seem to be helping."
"Abby," Leo hates to interrupt and get scolded during her exam, "I need to sit back down soon." He looks down and back up, "These pants of Jed's are big on me and are riding really low. I'm going to get real embarrassed here, soon"
"Yeah, your tattoo's showing." Abby smirks and teases, "Maybe you should have gotten it lower? It's practically at your waistline." She gets in a good dig, "Were you shy with the guy making it?"
"That's something else that sounds like my wife shouldn't know about my best friend." Jed points out, like he's offended and smiles at his family.
"There's are no secrets between us friends, Jed." Abby comments as she grabs the waistband of the pants Leo's wearing and pulls them up before Leo sits down.
Abby then lifts Leo's hands, one at a time, and unwraps them to check the damage to the knuckles. "Well the Polysporin ointment seems to be doing the trick. While we have you half stripped, Leo," Abby does a slow smile for Leo's benefit, to embarrass him. "I think you should have another soak in the whirlpool tub, while we wait for Jed to make his morning calls and then we'll order breakfast."
She reaches over for her husband's hand, "Jed and I will leave Margaret to get you into the tub." She makes an observation to stop any embarrassment, especially for Margaret, " I see, from your boxers drying on the tub nozzle, that you wore them in the tub last night."
'Yeah, I did." Leo then clarifies why, "Since Margaret needed to treat the bruising with the compresses."
"Well, she can get you back into them and I'll go order more ice," Abby smiles as she gives orders on her way to the door.
Abby and Jed file out of the bathroom past Margaret and the President can't help himself as he passes her, "Be gentle with him, Margaret." Margaret blushes and he chuckles. She then gives Leo a glare as the door closes behind the First Couple.
"Leo, one of these days, I'm going to get escorted off the White House grounds permanently and it's going to be all your fault." Margaret seriously predicts.
Leo is grinning at her blush. He gets just as much enjoyment out of the President making her blush, as when he does it. "Why will it be my fault?"
"You, Mr. McGarry, got him started on making me blush and now there's no stopping him." She warns him, "One of these days, I'm going to shut him down, before I can stop the words from coming out of my mouth and that's going to be the day you learn to run your office by yourself."
"Man, I 'am' in trouble." He doesn't really sound scared, "Mr. McGarry, is it now?" He decides to take advantage of them being alone for the first time that morning, "Margaret, please come here and give Mr. McGarry another good morning kiss." He sounds cheated, "The one on the couch wasn't much."
"Leo, you're going to drive me crazy one of these days," she predicts as she gently wraps her arms around his neck and leans in to kiss him, as much as his damaged lips will allow. Just to make him suffer for his cockiness, she slides her hands firmly down his bare back, before she pulls away. He moans at the loss of contact, as she turns to start his water. She stands and has his boxers in her hands. "Now, Leo, this is going to get interesting."
"Promises, promises, Margaret." He has a prediction of his own. He looks at her and at his boxers. "I know from that look in your eye that you have a plan."
"Not much of a plan at this point, Leo. But I can guess that I'm going to be seeing more of your tattoo today." She smirks, "I could get really partial to seeing it." She gets back to business, "Leo, we need to get you standing and for you to turn your back toward me."
Leo heads off her next order, "I know the next thing that your going to say, Margaret, is 'drop em'."
"You're right, Flyboy!" She smirks, "Time to show off your jet."
He chuckles and complies. She wraps a towel around his waist to cover him, till the shorts are almost up, like last night. He leans an elbow onto the half wall for balance.
Margaret has figured out how she can do this, from behind him, "Leo, lift a foot backwards a little and I'll guide it though the leg opening. That's right. Now, we'll do the other foot."
"Margaret," Leo calmly informs her, "I know you see this as a challenge to your planning skills, but I wouldn't have really minded if you didn't wrap the towel around me. You are behind me," he points out.
Margaret's breathing gets shallow and rapid, like there's not enough air in the room, just like last night. Her heart speeds up at the intimate thought. She softly informs him, as her voice is not really cooperating right now. "Leo, when I decide to enjoy the 'head to toe' view of your backside or and side of you for that matter, for the first time, it's not going to be in the President's bathroom, taking care of you after a beating."
"Yes, Margaret, I agree." He promises, "Our time will come."
"Leo, I'm having enough trouble right now, with just seeing glimpses of your bare backside." She almost pleads, "Just don't work on a blush right now. I won't be able to explain my hastily departure from here to the couple in the next room."
"OK, Margaret." He reassures her with love in his voice, "I just want you to know, that I 'do' plan on us having a more personal relationship, but only when you're ready."
She smiles and decides its time for a little pay back again, for making her blush all the time and she slide his boxers slowly up his legs, enjoying the feel of the soft leg hair.
He growls, "Margaret, that's not fair."
"All's fair in love, Leo." She reminds him, "Grab the front of the waist band and you know what to do with the towel," she instructs in a deep soft voice.
"Margaret," he sounds slightly surprised, like he can't believe she's willingly telling him to expose his bare behind to her.
"Love you, Leo," she bends to kiss his tattoo, just below his waistline. It looks like it's in the right spot to her, as she flips the back of the waistband up over it.
"Margaret?" He slowly turns, a little shocked and a little happily impressed. His eyebrows are raised. "Now, how am I suppose to get that out of my head?"
"You're not, Leo." She smiles sweetly, "That's just a little preview. I merely kissed your tattoo," she explains herself. "I like your jet, it's cute"
"She calls it cute." He looks at her insulted and then disappointed, "First she Kisses on my body and then she enjoys torturing me." He glares at her like that's not funny. "Your timing is really bad, Margaret."
"Works for me, Leo." She defends her actions, as she returns from the closet with more sea salts.
"Let's get you in the tub. We don't want to keep them from their breakfast too long." She grins at finally surprising Leo. Leo sulks slightly in the tub.
Abby knocks on the door and enters with Margaret's consent. She brings in the ice and ice water, putting both on the counter and grabbing some hand towels to start Leo's compresses. "Well, he doesn't look like you maimed him to bad after we left."
"That's the one benefit of the bruising, Abby." Margaret jokes with her new friend, "It doesn't leave any new marks showing."
Leo decides to remind them that he's still there "Ah, you ladies do remember, I'm right here." He adds a harmless threat, "I may need Jed in here to help defend me." He's checking out his hands while they are soaking in the sea salt. It still stings a little. He knows the sea salt will help to prevent infection.
"Like that's going to help you," Abby states back, at his attempt to threaten them. "He's checking with his security briefing by phone."
Abby bends to apply the cold compress and Margaret's running the hot water to prepare the warm compress.
Between towels, Leo spots Jed at the doorway, "Get in here and do something with these women. They're either trying to torture me or to drown me."
"Better you, than me, Leo. They won't even let me in the door." Jed honestly admits looking at his wife. Jed has a clean set of clothes for Leo to put on, when he gets out of the tub. "In fact, I like the view from the doorway," Jed makes this comment as he views the two female rear ends bent out, as they administer to Leo. One covered in his sweats and another one in satin.
Margaret and Leo exchange a knowing look about their previous conversation about her shutting down the President, making her laugh. Abby throws a wet towel at Jed, who gets a wet splotch on his pajama top for his comment.
"Jed, behave," Abby warns him with a pointed look.
"Sorry, I just couldn't resist, Dear." Jed complains like a neglected child, "Plus, Leo's getting all the attention."
"You want to trade places and let them poke your bruises," Leo offers when Margaret removes the warm towel.
"You know, I would, Leo." His friend quickly replies, as he moves closer to the tub.
"Yeah and you know I'm happy it's not you." Leo honestly reveals.
"Leo," Abby calls for an end to the compresses, "It's time for Jed and I to leave you to Margaret. She needs to get you dried off."
Leo stops her from leaving the room, "Abby, can you help me to stand up? Jed and Margaret could both hurt their backs helping me." He confesses the other option they considered, "Margaret was going to get an agent last night, but I wasn't as sore then and got myself out with her steadying me."
"Sure, Leo, we don't need both of them laid up right now." Abby jokes, but she's a little serious, "I'm not in the mood to have a whole ward full of people to take care of. Not when it's the ones I love." She kissed his forehead, just like Jed did previously and grabs under his good arm to steady him as he stands in the tub. He steps out into the towel that Margaret's holding up to wrap around the top of him.
Leo now warns them that 'time' is a factor when he's standing, "You two need to leave or there's 'not' going to be any secrets about me that you two won't know, while Margaret gets me dry."
Jed takes Abby by the arm, "Come on, Dear, there are some things I don't want you to know about my best friend, even if it's to treat him."
"Yes, Dear." She calls back over her shoulder while she's escorted out of the room. "We'll order breakfast now and it should arrive by the time you're done." Abby calls back in, one cheerful note, "Enjoy yourself, Margaret."
"Thanks, Abby, I plan to," she answers her friend. She dries Leo in the same pattern as last night. He still chuckles at her, when he drops the towel to finish pulling up the clean sweatpants.
She snaps up the back waistband and coos to the back of his ear. "Once a flyboy, always a flyboy." She kisses the back of his ear and he shivers slightly in anticipation of proving to her, just how high they could fly.
"I'll prove that theory to you someday, Margaret," he promises.
****