Disclaimer - After 32 chapters, I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.
Rating - PG 13 for some language
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC
Spoilers - Commencement and 25. Although you will find some of the plot here, I have taken significant liberty with it!
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.
Ellie snubbed out a cigarette in an ashtray that was lying on the table in the club "The End of the World", and watched her younger sister Zoey out on the dance floor with her boyfriend, Jean Paul.
"I don't like him," Curtis mused, a frown set on his handsome face.
"You don't like who?" she questioned.
"Jean Paul," he answered, nodding in the direction of the dance floor. "There's just something about him."
"I don't like the way he treats her," Sam said, resting his arm on the back of Ainsley's chair. The two had started dating right after Ellie and Curtis left for the Congo, and Ellie couldn't be happier for her friend. "He's domineering," Sam continued.
"He's an ass," Ainsley tossed in, taking a quick sip of her drink.
"He's French," Ellie responded with a grin. "Doesn't that come with the territory?"
Curtis shot her a mock glare and rolled his eyes. "Speaking as the only other true European in the room, that doesn't come with the territory."
"I didn't say the British were asses, honey," she teased. "Just the French."
"Your father is the President of the United States, Eleanor," he chided. "I'm not sure I'd be broadcasting my dislike of the French any louder if I were you."
"Not all the French," she answered, resting back in her chair, "Just that particular Frenchmen."
The song ended and Zoey made her way over the table, swaying slightly as she walked, a motion not lost on her sister. Zoey leaned down to whisper in Ellie's ear.
"You're drunk," Ellie noted, taking hold of Zoey's arm.
"I'm not," Zoey shot back, reaching down to take a swig of Curtis's beer. "I had a little champagne with Charlie, a couple of drinks here and now I've swiped my brother-in-law's beer. I'm not drunk, Mom."
Ellie rolled her eyes and looked to Curtis for help. "You better watch it anyway, Peanut. We may be doctors, but we don't want to be cleaning up after you all night," he told her.
Ellie captured Zoey's face in her hands and studied her sister's glassy eyes. "Have you taken something?"
"NO!" Zoey exclaimed angrily, wrenching away from her sister's grasp. "Christ, Ellie, this is my party. I'm just having fun!"
Curtis looked Jean Paul over and grabbed the collar of the younger man's jacket. He leaned into his ear and whispered, "If you hurt her, I know a million ways to kill you and make it look like a natural death."
The Frenchman pulled away and straightened his jacket. He scoffed at Curtis's threat and held his hand out to Zoey. "Let's go someplace a little more quiet," he suggested, taking her hand and disappearing behind some gauzy curtains.
"She's on something or he slipped her something or..." Ellie nearly bellowed, fighting the urge to go after them. She grabbed one of Zoey's Secret Service agents by the arm. "Watch her, please, I think she's taken something."
Molly nodded and took up a position in front of the curtain. Curtis rested his hand on Ellie's shoulder, silently encouraging her to sit down. She relented, sitting and taking a long swig of her drink.
"Did she just say that she drank champagne with Charlie?" Curtis wondered aloud.
"She should have stayed with Charlie," Ellie answered fiercely. "Charlie is a good guy, Charlie has her best interest at heart, Charlie is..."
"Ellie!" Sam raised a hand to stop her rant. "I know, we all know."
"Yeah," she answered, reaching for another cigarette. Curtis reached over to light it for her, but not before giving her a disapproving frown. "So, I wonder what's up with that?"
"What?" he asked curiously.
"Drinking champagne with Charlie," she replied.
"Well," Sam replied, "Josh told me that when Charlie and Zoey first started dating they buried a bottle of champagne at the National Arboretum."
"Isn't that, like, nine shades of illegal?" Ellie inquired.
Sam and Ainsley exchanged glances and shrugged. "Regardless," Sam continued with a wave of his hand, "they made plans to dig up the bottle on Zoey's graduation night at ten o'clock."
"So, that's where she was?" Curtis asked.
"Yep," Sam answered with a grin. He titled his beer to Curtis. "And, she kissed him."
Both Ellie and Curtis's eyes widened. "She kissed him?!" they cried in unison.
"That's what Josh said," Sam replied.
"What, was he watching?" she asked curiously. "Why was he there?"
"He didn't watch," Sam defended him, "He turned his head the minute it started and he was there to help Charlie dig up the champagne."
"Oh, well, yeah, it makes perfect sense now," Ellie said sarcastically.
The music slowed and Curtis nodded in the direction of the dance floor. Ellie smiled and he asked, "May I have this dance?"
She placed her hand in his and stood. "This and every other dance," she answered.
"Now that sounds like a plan," he said, kissing her hand and leading her onto the floor. Sam and Ainsley quickly followed. Curtis wrapped Ellie into his arms, swaying them along with the music and kissing her every couple of minutes. She was in heaven, until a pair of strong arms grabbed her, nearly dragging her out of the club.
She glanced back at the person whose hand was clamped fiercely onto her shoulder. "Ben, what the hell are you doing?" she screamed.
"Not now, Ellie," he growled. She continued to glance back, noticing that Chris had hold of Curtis and that Sam and Ainsley were close behind. The Secret Service agents led them outside to a secured area where Josh and Charlie were standing. Other agents and Washington D.C. police were securing the area, evacuating the club and organizing patrons. Ellie stomped over to Josh. "What the hell is going on, Josh?" she demanded angrily. She looked around quickly, her heart racing. "Where's Zoey?"
Charlie swallowed a gasp and turned his face from them. "Josh?" she whispered.
He swallowed hard and took her arm. "Ellie," he said quietly, "Zoey's missing and one of her agents is dead."
Ellie's hand clamped over her mouth in shock and Curtis and Josh both supported her quickly buckling frame. "No," she repeated over and over, "no, this isn't happening."
"Ellie," Curtis demanded, clasping her face in his hands, "Baby, look at me." Chris was hovering over them and Ben was securing a vehicle to transport Ellie and Curtis back to the White House. "Ellie," he said again.
"I need to," she answered, attempting to stand. "I need to help, to find her..."
Ben grasped Ellie around the waist and led her over to the waiting vehicle. "What I need for you to do is to get in this car and get the hell back to White House."
"Ben," she argued.
He shot her a steely glare. "This is not up for debate, Eleanor. Get in goddamn car."
In five years, Ben had never spoken to her like that - not even after Rosslyn - and it terrified her. "Mr. Lyman, you're going too," he continued. Josh nodded weakly and climbed into the front seat of the car. Curtis put his arm around Eleanor, stroking her hair to help calm her sobs. Josh stared straight ahead, unsure of what to say, unable to comfort her. All they knew was that Zoey Bartlet was missing, and he was about to face the President.
TBC....