This is it. The last chapter of the My Fellow Americans story. Thank you so so so much to everybody who read this and reviewed. I love you all so much and as a parting gift, BOLOGNA LOLLIPOPS FOR EVERYONE!!!
And yes, the memorial was inspired by the new WWII memorial. I have yet to see it but my mom saw it and showed me pictures. (She also got me a West Wing tee-shirt which is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Hehe)
Alright, here goes.
CHAPTER 10
April twenty-first, 2015, was a beautiful sunny day with only a faint breeze. Hundreds of people crowded into the streets of Washington DC for the opening of the State of the Union memorial. The memorial consisted of a pool surrounded by a cement patio from which two waterfalls flowed into the crystal water. Flowers grew around the pool's edge. Small trees sat in the corners and benches were placed in their shade. Lining the outer rim of the patio were 6 stone walls. Two on each side and one on the ends. The name and photograph of each person that was killed that night were carved and encased into the marble. The path led between the walls and connected to the sidewalk in front of the Mall. A stage and podium had been set up on the Mall. The President would be making a short speech before dedicating the memorial, and so would several others.
'Sam!" Donna called, "Sam, where are you?"
"Over here!" her son called from beside the stage.
"Samuel Seaborn Lyman! Get away from there right now!"
"Yes, Mom," the seven-year-old grumbled, ducking into the crowd and reappearing at her shoulder.
"You were supposed to stay with your father. Where is he?"
"He and Toby are over with Aunt CJ."
Clutching Sam's hand, Donna dragged him over to where CJ and Josh stood. CJ leaned heavily on a cane, but after years of physical therapy and surgery, she was able to walk again. Four-year-old Tobias Ziegler Lyman was sitting in the grass next to them, poking at a worm.
A little while later they were seated in the first row next to David Calloway and Fiona Jeremies. An engagement ring shone on Fi's finger. Beside Fiona was Senatorial candidate Christina Fryer and her husband. Bill Fryer had died a year earlier from a heart attack. Gary Freeman was also dead, killed in a car crash three months after Fryer left office.
Several survivors spoke. One was Jenny Cauller who had been there with her father when she was three years old. Now fifteen, she stood in front of them, shaking slightly as she talked about her vague memories and the legacy her father had left behind. Next came an FBI agent named Kevin. He had been the one to call for help. Survivor's guilt had wracked him for years but with help he had finally come to terms with it and realized that it had been a good thing that he'd been where he was.
Then the White House Press Secretary stepped up to the podium. "Thank you everyone for coming today." Carol said, "The President will be here in a moment. After the official dedication, feel free to look around the memorial. The city's only request is that you don't leave anything here. No flowers or anything, at least for the time being. Oh, here he is. Ladies and gentlemen, President Charles Young."
Everybody applauded as Charlie stepped up. He was a surprisingly good public speaker as CJ had discovered working on his campaign last year. He spoke with a confidence he'd rarely displayed while working as an aide. He told about how that night had affected him personally and how it had affected them all.
"And today," he concluded, "it is my privilege to stand before you and dedicate this beautiful monument. I now declare this the State of the Union memorial. Thank you."
Josh and Donna didn't get a chance to talk to Charlie. He had to hurry back to the White House for an emergency meeting. So they took their children to go find their namesakes.
Sam found his name first. "Samuel Norman Seaborn." He read slowly. He looked up at his mother with his startlingly blue eyes.
Josh touched the picture above the inscription. Sam had been so young.
"Sam, buddy," he said, "I didn't save the world. I tried to do it for you, but I couldn't. I hope I was good enough."
"What, Daddy?" little Sam asked.
"Nothing." Josh said, "Just talking to an old friend."
They found Leo next. Then Toby. Little Toby took one look at the photograph and buried his face in his father's shoulder.
"He couldn't smile for even one picture?" CJ grumbled, looking wistfully at the picture. "I miss him so much."
President Bartlet had the biggest picture. His last words, "My Fellow Americans" were written under his name. They spent a long time lingering by his picture. Eventually the sun began to set and Sam declared that he was hungry and needed to go to the bathroom. The former staffers and Fiona all exchanged hugs and promises to stay in touch, then left. Nearly all the spectators were gone now. As Josh turned to take one last look, the shadows of the setting sun and the rustle of the wind in the trees made it seem like the dead were there, whispering their appreciation. But maybe he just imagined it.
THE END
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A/N (written in notebook 8-12-04): All right, it's done. There's definitely not going to be a sequel to this. As much as I loved writing it, it's time to retire this plot. I'm writing this in my notebook on August 12 at midnight, though I'll be typing it a long time from then. Aren't I nice, staying up late to finish this? I think that deserves a good review. wink wink, nudge nudge Anyway, thanks for the great time. I hope that this sequel met your expectations. I'm not incredibly fond of some parts, but I think on the whole it turned out well. I'll be taking a break from West Wing fan fic for a while but I'll come back. In the meantime I'll post some Harry Potter and lurk about flaming other West Wing fics. Well, actually only Lexi. Haha, I'm kidding. Her story Consequences of Losing a Democrat is awesome. If she'd only update, that is. And I'm not just saying that because she beta read this for me, for while I am eternally grateful. Okay, it's now 12:20. I'm going to sleep over my notebook. This is Versipellis, signing off and going to bed.