"Hey Danny." Donna said as she met him in an out of the way coffee bar.
"Donna. I hear you're doing great at your new job."
"Thanks, I think all those years of apologising for Josh rubbed off." She stirred a spoon around her cup.
"How are things going with Josh?" Danny asked.
"We haven't had chance to really talk yet something came up. That's what I need your help with."
"Are we talking on the record here?" Danny asked.
"Not at the moment. After tomorrow you can talk to the First Lady and CJ will have a White House statement for you before the rest of the Press Corps."
"Okay. So what's going on?" Donna explained the situation.
"I need you to come to the Governor's press conference and ask him about what your probably bound to over hear and the treasury agents. Hopefully we'll get the sound bite we're looking for."
"That's one hell of a plan Donna, do you think you can pull it off?"
"I managed to talk three congressmen out of demanding Josh's resignation from the President once. I think I can handle the Governor." She said with a smile. "So are you in?"
"I'm in. If anyone asks I'm on holiday for a few days and my editor asked me to cover the Governor's press conference."
"Thanks Danny. I'll help you with CJ when we get back." She winked at him. She scribbled something on a napkin and pushed it towards him. "We made you reservations at a motel. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye Donna."
~ ~ ~
"Good evening Mrs Bartlett, did you have a nice day?" Donna asked as entered Abbey's hotel room.
"Yes, thank you Donna. Josh has been entertaining me all day with some of the West Wing's staffs escapades."
"Like his secret plan to fight inflation?" Donna teased. "I always did like that one."
"Hey, it thought you promised to never mention that again." Josh said.
"That was still when I was your assistant and you kept threatening to fire me on a daily basis. Now I figure I can have as much fun as CJ does teasing you about it." Josh scowled at her.
"Donna did you need something?" Abbey asked.
"Yes, I need a few minutes alone there is something I need to discuss with you."
"Josh, thank you for today. I'll see you tomorrow." Abbey said.
"Yes Mrs Bartlett. I'll talk to you later Donna." Donna nodded.
~ ~ ~
"Mr President." Charlie said from the doorway the next morning.
"Yeah." Jed said looking up.
"Leo, Ron Butterfield and the rest of the senior staff need a few minutes."
"Together?" Jed questioned.
"Yes sir." Charlie replied.
"This can't be good." Jed said taking off his glasses. "Send them in. What's going on?" He asked as they trailed in.
"Good morning Mr President." Leo said, the others echoed the sentiments.
"Leo what's going on?" Jed asked dropping his glasses on the desk.
"Mr President, please come and take a seat we need to brief you something that's going to happen today." Leo encouraged. Jed walked to the chairs.
"What's going on Leo?" He asked as he sat, the rest of the staff sat too.
"There is a situation in Louisiana we need to tell you about." Leo started.
"Leo, my wife is in Louisiana."
"Yes Mr President." Leo said with a nod. "This involves Abbey."
"What's going on with my wife? Ron?"
"Mr President she's fine. She's visiting something or other Josh is with her and her agents." Leo said before Ron could speak.
"So what's going on?" Jed asked.
"Sir, a few days ago the Governor of Louisiana made some comments about Mrs Bartlett to Miss Moss on a tapped phone line. The Secret Service deemed them to be a credible threat, Mrs Bartlett's protection has been increased and the Governor is under investigation."
"What kind of threats?" Jed asked.
"You don't need to know that sir. It's being taken care of and Mrs Bartlett is safe." Ron supplied.
"Mr President." Leo started. "Every precaution is being taken care of. Donna's been liasing with Agent Connors who is head of Abbey's detail. She's been keeping me informed as well as Toby, Sam and CJ. She's managed to keep this out of the press. She's kept Abbey out of this as much as possible, but she knows what's going on. She's followed procedure and she's come up with an excellent spin on the situation leaving Abbey in the best possible light."
"Do we really think Donna has the experience to handle something as big as someone making threats against my wife even if Josh is there to help out."
"Actually sir, she's managed to keep Josh out of this. The Governor made some rather disparaging remarks about her too." CJ interrupted. "She asked us to ask you to keep out of it."
"She expects me to sit back and let someone threaten my wife and not say anything?" Jed snapped.
"Mr President." Toby said trying to calm him. "She's doing a great job, we have a statement for when this goes public, Everything she's come up she's come up with herself, she's willing to take the flak for you not being informed sooner, but if you make a loud statement you're going to inflame the situation even more. She's kept us briefed on everything that's happening and she's kept this contained better than most of us could. She's handling it, let her do this her way and it will work. If we storm in there it could affect re-election and some of the bills we're trying to push through the house."
"Mr President, Mrs Bartlett's agents and the extra agents we've dispensed to investigate are doing their jobs, nothing will happen to her." Ron reassured him.
"Someone tell me what's going to happen."
"Mr President, this is what is going to happen...." Leo began to explain.
"Donna. I hear you're doing great at your new job."
"Thanks, I think all those years of apologising for Josh rubbed off." She stirred a spoon around her cup.
"How are things going with Josh?" Danny asked.
"We haven't had chance to really talk yet something came up. That's what I need your help with."
"Are we talking on the record here?" Danny asked.
"Not at the moment. After tomorrow you can talk to the First Lady and CJ will have a White House statement for you before the rest of the Press Corps."
"Okay. So what's going on?" Donna explained the situation.
"I need you to come to the Governor's press conference and ask him about what your probably bound to over hear and the treasury agents. Hopefully we'll get the sound bite we're looking for."
"That's one hell of a plan Donna, do you think you can pull it off?"
"I managed to talk three congressmen out of demanding Josh's resignation from the President once. I think I can handle the Governor." She said with a smile. "So are you in?"
"I'm in. If anyone asks I'm on holiday for a few days and my editor asked me to cover the Governor's press conference."
"Thanks Danny. I'll help you with CJ when we get back." She winked at him. She scribbled something on a napkin and pushed it towards him. "We made you reservations at a motel. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye Donna."
~ ~ ~
"Good evening Mrs Bartlett, did you have a nice day?" Donna asked as entered Abbey's hotel room.
"Yes, thank you Donna. Josh has been entertaining me all day with some of the West Wing's staffs escapades."
"Like his secret plan to fight inflation?" Donna teased. "I always did like that one."
"Hey, it thought you promised to never mention that again." Josh said.
"That was still when I was your assistant and you kept threatening to fire me on a daily basis. Now I figure I can have as much fun as CJ does teasing you about it." Josh scowled at her.
"Donna did you need something?" Abbey asked.
"Yes, I need a few minutes alone there is something I need to discuss with you."
"Josh, thank you for today. I'll see you tomorrow." Abbey said.
"Yes Mrs Bartlett. I'll talk to you later Donna." Donna nodded.
~ ~ ~
"Mr President." Charlie said from the doorway the next morning.
"Yeah." Jed said looking up.
"Leo, Ron Butterfield and the rest of the senior staff need a few minutes."
"Together?" Jed questioned.
"Yes sir." Charlie replied.
"This can't be good." Jed said taking off his glasses. "Send them in. What's going on?" He asked as they trailed in.
"Good morning Mr President." Leo said, the others echoed the sentiments.
"Leo what's going on?" Jed asked dropping his glasses on the desk.
"Mr President, please come and take a seat we need to brief you something that's going to happen today." Leo encouraged. Jed walked to the chairs.
"What's going on Leo?" He asked as he sat, the rest of the staff sat too.
"There is a situation in Louisiana we need to tell you about." Leo started.
"Leo, my wife is in Louisiana."
"Yes Mr President." Leo said with a nod. "This involves Abbey."
"What's going on with my wife? Ron?"
"Mr President she's fine. She's visiting something or other Josh is with her and her agents." Leo said before Ron could speak.
"So what's going on?" Jed asked.
"Sir, a few days ago the Governor of Louisiana made some comments about Mrs Bartlett to Miss Moss on a tapped phone line. The Secret Service deemed them to be a credible threat, Mrs Bartlett's protection has been increased and the Governor is under investigation."
"What kind of threats?" Jed asked.
"You don't need to know that sir. It's being taken care of and Mrs Bartlett is safe." Ron supplied.
"Mr President." Leo started. "Every precaution is being taken care of. Donna's been liasing with Agent Connors who is head of Abbey's detail. She's been keeping me informed as well as Toby, Sam and CJ. She's managed to keep this out of the press. She's kept Abbey out of this as much as possible, but she knows what's going on. She's followed procedure and she's come up with an excellent spin on the situation leaving Abbey in the best possible light."
"Do we really think Donna has the experience to handle something as big as someone making threats against my wife even if Josh is there to help out."
"Actually sir, she's managed to keep Josh out of this. The Governor made some rather disparaging remarks about her too." CJ interrupted. "She asked us to ask you to keep out of it."
"She expects me to sit back and let someone threaten my wife and not say anything?" Jed snapped.
"Mr President." Toby said trying to calm him. "She's doing a great job, we have a statement for when this goes public, Everything she's come up she's come up with herself, she's willing to take the flak for you not being informed sooner, but if you make a loud statement you're going to inflame the situation even more. She's kept us briefed on everything that's happening and she's kept this contained better than most of us could. She's handling it, let her do this her way and it will work. If we storm in there it could affect re-election and some of the bills we're trying to push through the house."
"Mr President, Mrs Bartlett's agents and the extra agents we've dispensed to investigate are doing their jobs, nothing will happen to her." Ron reassured him.
"Someone tell me what's going to happen."
"Mr President, this is what is going to happen...." Leo began to explain.