Chapter Two

TUESDAY 8:21

Jed sat stoic and solid as he listened to what the head of the FBI had to say. Leo did the same as they sat civilized over coffee and tea. It was nothing compared to the circus of Zoey, or the circus outside. Since no ransom note or word from CJ had been recovered, the FBI had to treat the case as what it was; the disappearance of a senior White House staffer. It wasn't a low-grade investigation, but not a high grade one either. No one seemed to know what to make of it yet. At least now they had pictures and names of two men sought for questioning.

"What we do is send these pictures out to the Bureau—"Jed shook his head as did Leo.

"I'm sorry, Mr. President." Debbie appeared at the door. "But Toby insisted on coming in."

"No, Debbie that's all right. Send him in." Jed spoke and Toby entered.

"Mr. President." Toby looked at the commissioner. "Mr. Commissioner. I heard you were having this meeting and I was hoping I could sit in on it."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Leo said to Toby with a stern look.

"Don't worry, Toby, we'll update everyone after this." Jed looked at Toby.

"Yes, sir." Toby held back anger.

"Toby? Is there something you want to say?" Jed asked.

"With all due respect—"

"Yesss" Jed leaned forward in his chair.

"I don't see why we aren't—"

"Toby—"Leo tried to intercede.

"Doing more, sir---"Toby only spoke to Jed.

"More, Toby—?" Jed asked.

"More. Sending out the National Guard, the 82nd Airborne, I don't know---- Find her!"

"We're doing all we can Mr. Zeigler— With all due respect, Mr. President--." The commissioner looked at the President. This caused Toby to be livid that he wasn't being talked to.

"Well, with all due respect Mr. Commissioner, when I see you sitting in here politely drinking coffee I don't believe you're doing all you can."

"Toby!" Leo stood. "I think you should leave now. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah." Toby lowered his head. He began to walk out, but took a step back. "I'm sorry. I was acting out. I---" He paused. "I'll leave now." He walked over to the Commissioner. "I am sorry, Mr. Commissioner."

"I understand. We're all under a lot of stress—"

"Yes, I see how we could both be under stress." He said dryly. Leo coughed.

"Yeah. Well. I'm sorry—."

"I'm sorry, did Toby just say he was sorry or did I doze off?" Jed looked around, but no one seemed to get his joke.

"Yes, well---" he looked at the President and back at the Commissioner. "I am sorry. Very nice to meet you." Toby leaned his hand forward and -- no one saw how he really did it – even CJ couldn't have done it better -- Toby knocked the Commissioner's coffee all over his paperwork. Toby backed off as the Commissioner stood up, so did Leo and Jed in reaction.

"I'm so sorry. Oh. That's a mess." Toby said pretending to be concerned.

"Debbie!" Jed yelled causing her to enter the room. "Can we have some towels to clean this up?"

"Oh, yes." Debbie saw the mess and walked out. Jed gave Toby a look, thinking he was up to something.

"Cindi." The Commissioner told his assistant who had been taking notes. "Go make some fresh copies from your files."

"Yes." She looked at Leo.

"One of the secretaries will show you where it is." He told her, referring to the copy machine.

"Yeah. I should get out of your way." Toby followed the girl out as Debbie entered with a clean towel.

"You should clean that up."

Debbie glared at Toby as he left.

Outside the Oval Office, Toby walked away as he eyeballed Cindi talking to Nancy who was directing her to the copy machine. Toby put his hands in his pockets and caught site of Josh at the doorway. Charlie looked up to see Josh and Toby. Something was afoot between the three men. Toby took his finger and brought it to his nose. Josh looked at Toby not knowing what to do. He mouthed the word, "What" and raised his hand. The girl, Cindi, passed Josh, and Toby became more adamant, pointing his finger toward the girl, while covering his point from view. Josh looked at him the same away again. Toby gave up throwing up his hands.

"I think he's signaling you?" Charlie told Josh walking along side him.

"How do you know?"

"'Cause that's from The Sting?"

"The Sting?"

"Yeah, Robert Redford. Paul Newman. Good flick. They touched the side of their noses to signal the other participants in their ploy."

"I know the movie. I don't remember that part—"

"Yes, and yet you know all the words to the Godfather---go figure?"

"---And when did you get into this thing? Are you into this thing?"

"Anything you're into I can't know you're into, and if asked if I'm involved in anything you're into, I will flatly deny it. But I'd go signal Donna before the plan is blown, Sundance."

"Yeah?" Josh walked away perplexed.

Toby and Charlie exchanged looks with each other.

Josh walked out the doorway and took site of Donna standing against a cubical wall. He gave Donna the finger gesture, to his nose, and she looked at him with her bug eyes, as if Josh had lost a screw. Josh pointed to the girl at the copy machine and Donna gave a thumbs up.

"Yeah, we're like the Marx brothers with out the humor." Toby groaned the words as he walked away past Josh.

Donna took a few papers off a table as she passed and stood behind the woman, who was making quite a few copies since her boss's entire stack of information has been destroyed. The woman, Cindi, looked over at Donna and smiled. Donna smiled a huge smile back.

"Just waiting to use the copy machine. That's all." Cindi smiled and went back to her work.

"Hi!" Margaret said with great enthusiasm coming out of nowhere. "You from the bureau?"

"Yes, I just have to make—"

"I'm Margaret, Leo McGarry's assistant. And this is Donna; she's Josh Lyman assistant—." Cindi looked at Donna.

"Hello." Donna smiled.

"You work for the Chief of Staff and his Deputy?" Cindi said feeling very awkward as the pages flew into their trays.

"Yes, that's us. If you need any help feel free to ask! Do you need help?" Margaret said in fast rat-a-tat-tat way.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Cindi looked forward. Margaret gave Donna a face, and Donna, in turn gave the same back to her.

"Oh, ok?" Margaret was fishing. "Wow, I love those earrings."

"You do?" Cindi looked to Margaret in surprise.

Donna took hold of one of the papers from the copy tray and placed it in her folder. She then inconspicuously turned her attention back on the conversation.

"Really? I made them."

"No. Really?" Margaret was in her element.

Cindi took the pages and Donna smiled at her. Cindi again felt awkward. She began to copy her next pages. Each time Cindi changed the pages Margaret found a way to talk her ear off and Donna took a copy of the pages.

"You know, I forgot the pages I was supposed to copy." Donna yelled out.

"You know, me too." Margaret spoke. Donna's eyes widened at the fact Margaret wasn't so good at this part. "Why don't we—?" Donna spoke.

"Yeah—" Margaret said in her dry tone.

"Nice meeting you—" Donna tore off.

"See ya." Margaret did the same.

Donna walked down the hall, passing Will along the way, starting the game of pass the hot potato as they each passed the Roosevelt room. Donna walked past Will with her head lowered, the papers folded in her left hand. Will grazed past Donna taking the pages with one gesture. Almost like a slight of hand or card trick he was good at. Once he was past Donna far enough, Will took the folded pages and placed them in his breast pocket. He nodded as he passed someone he knew, making his way down another hallway and into the lobby, where he passed Charlie. Taking the papers out and playing the same slight of hand trick, soon Charlie had the papers stowed between two folders. Charlie walked down another hallway until he reached the threshold of Josh's bullpen, seeing Carol's lovely smile.

"Hello, Carol." Charlie said sweetly as he made eye contact with her and with his other hand passed off the papers, low and away. Carol took the pass without pause.

"Hello, Charlie." Carol smirked through her bloodshot eyes, taking the papers like she had been passed an Olympic relay baton. Carol walked for a while passing through the lobby. Like a tandem bike racer, Josh walked past her and the last hand off was made. Just in time to see Danny walk out of Toby's office, leaving Josh in the communications bullpen.

"Danny, let me walk you out." Josh spoke as he passed the doorway.

"Yeah." Danny spoke fatly.

Danny walked Josh toward one of the main exits away from the pressroom and once they felt no one was around they stopped. Josh looked around to check if the coast was clear. At the same time Danny leaned forward. Josh took the folded pages from his breast pocket and handed them off to Danny. Danny looked around and placed the pages in his breast pocket. As this little exchange completed, Abbey Bartlet turned the corner and saw the two in secretive tones and posture. Abbey could tell from their body language what was going on. Josh walked off in the opposite direction not noticing that Mrs. Bartlet was there. Danny checked to be sure that the pages were secure as he walked toward the door.

"Hello, Danny?" Mrs. Bartlet said coming out of the shadows. "Going so soon?"

"Ma'am."

"You look terrible, Daniel. Does anyone call you Daniel?"

"My mother."

"Well then, I'll continue calling you Danny. Have you slept?"

"No."

"No kidding." She walked closer to him.

"Eaten?"

"No. I had something I don't know around noon--"

"Eastern or standard time." She looked him over. "You need to sleep, if you're going to find her? That is what you're going to do? That is where you're going?"

"I have a few leads on the story--yes."

"Oh, cut the crap Danny." Abbey leaned in. "I can't believe you work in the White House Press corps and no one has noticed your ode to the grieving husband-- That is beyond me! Everyone here knows you're in love with CJ and the state I see you in—in front of me just proves that." She patted his chest where the papers were. "Among other things." Abbey backed up and they looked at each other. "Are you going to admit it?"

Danny took a swallow, "I really don't know what you're talkin' about Mrs. Bartlet?"

"I'm asking if you love her Danny."

Danny looked around.

"Don't worry, no one's watching us."

Danny sighed.

"You can give me that answer or you can tell me—" Abbey lowered her voice, "all about what Josh Lyman handed you---the paper you have safe and secure in your left breast pocket." Abbey stepped back and held her left hand over her right hand in front of her. Danny was tired, tired from lack of sleep, tired from keeping it all inside, too tired to lie. Abbey saw the look in Danny's eyes well up. She looked into his once sparkling blue eyes and now only saw gray.

"Yes." Danny said raspy and breathlessly. Abbey took a breath feeling Danny's pain.

"Does CJ know this?"

"I'd like to think she does. But no."

"And here I was-- thinking I could stop you from doing this? Eat something won't you." She held his face in her hands. Abbey walked away giving Danny her back. Danny took this as his chance to make an exit. He walked toward the door and was almost gone when Abbey called after him.

"Be safe Danny." She paused while Danny smiled. He knew there was a reason he always liked this woman. "Your mother would kill me."

Danny signaled a combination of thank you and goodbye with a figurative tipping of his hat to Abby. For a moment, he was gleeful.

Danny turned his back and all Abby could see, with the sun hitting the dark marble floor, was Danny's shadow leaving her sight.