Title: Return to Me
Author: Mandy
Spoilers: "A Change is Gonna Come" most definitely; anything from the show is pretty much fair game, however
Pairing: Leo/Margaret
Category: General, Romance, Post-Ep
Archive: If you'd like, just let me know
Feedback/Reviews: If you want
Disclaimer: I promise that I'm just borrowing these characters from Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, John Wells et al for a little while. I will put them back just where I found them when I'm done with them, unharmed and just as they were when I took them. I claim absolutely no ownership of any aspect of the show, nor am I making any profit from this writing.
Author's Notes: I started writing this after watching "A Change is Gonna Come" on December 1. I had hoped that there were going to be some things done differently--wishful thinking on my part. Anyway, this is some of what I would have liked to have seen, and mostly it's just the Leo/Margaret shipper inside of me running rampant. I had planned for it to be a stand alone piece, but I may end up making it into a series. If you'd like to see that, convince me! LOL! Enjoy!
Return to Me
He stood silently in the doorway, watching his assistant--his former assistant, he had to remind himself--working diligently, as always. Her head was bent, almost parallel with the top surface of her desk, and she was surrounded by stacks of briefing books, memos, messages, and folders. The computer to her left was on; the phone directly in front of her was quiet at the moment. To him, this was one of the most beautiful sights in the world. She looked to be in the process of trying to decipher someone's notes--a task that was not at all new to her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled at the way she was running the office, even if it was for someone other than him.
The phone rang, and he held his breath. She answered quickly, but paused briefly before uttering, "CJ Cregg's office." He knew that she had taken that small break because she was still getting used to answering the phone differently. It wasn't easy for her to adjust to a new boss. She spoke in short, choppy sentences, furiously writing down the message before placing the phone back onto its cradle and turning her attention once again to the pages of notes in front of her.
Finally feeling the overwhelming need to say something to her, he shifted his stance slightly and sighed. "Margaret, can you get me the most recent copy of the President's schedule?" He didn't know why that had been the first sentence out of his mouth, but he knew that it would have the desired effect.
"Sure thing, Leo. Give me just a second and I'll coordinate with Charlie." She never even looked up from her notes, only responded perfunctorily.
He watched in amusement as her eyes snapped open in recognition and realization. As she slowly lifted her head, he allowed himself to fully chuckle.
"Leo?" she asked timidly, looking at him for the first time since she had visited him in the hospital.
Grinning broadly, he merely nodded his head in the affirmative.
Standing slowly, she allowed the tears to progressively slip from her eyes. When she was sure that her legs would fully support her, she ran the short distance across the office and launched herself into Leo's arms, clinging to him for dear life.
Leo pulled Margaret flush up against him, winding his arms tightly around her waist. "Shh, Margaret, it's okay. I'm here," he told her, letting one hand leave her waist to gently stroke her hair.
"I've been so worried about you," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I miss you, Leo."
He tenderly kissed the top of her head. "I miss you, too." Pulling back slightly, he tilted his head to gaze into her watery eyes. "Why haven't you been by to visit?"
She lowered her eyes ashamedly. "I…I've just been so scared. Seeing you in that hospital was bad enough." She stopped speaking as another wave of sobs attacked her.
Leo once again closed the space between them, this time dropping a kiss to her temple and running his hands in soothing circles over her back. "It's alright, Margaret. I understand," he muttered, in an effort to comfort her.
Swallowing her tears, she gingerly placed her hands on his chest and pushed herself back slightly, leaning against the circle of his arms. "I'm so very glad you're here. I don't function well without you," she teased with a smile.
"I can't function at all without you," he admitted, gazing straight into her eyes in order to gauge her reaction.
Her face, of course, registered quite a bit of surprise. "What do you mean by that? I'm just the girl who's run your office for the past sixteen years, and you don't need me to do that anymore."
"Margaret, so were always so much more than that. You've taken care of me for sixteen years."
"And you don't need me to do that anymore, either, because you've got a nurse to take care of you after the heart attack."
"Well, I'd much rather have you there with me all the time, taking care of me the way you always have."
Margaret immediately blushed, ducking her head a little in an attempt to hide her reddening face.
Placing his hand under her chin, he lifted her head until her eyes were once again level with his. "Margaret, I've come to realize something in the time since my heart attack." Pausing to gain his composure, he pulled her tighter against himself to prevent her from slipping away. "You've always been more than just an assistant to me. From day one you've taken better care of me than I've ever taken of myself. You're a wonderful friend; never once doubting my abilities or judging me on my faults or failures. There's always been more to the way that I've felt about you, but I've never been willing to admit it to myself or anyone else until now." He moved one had from her waist to cup her cheek. "Margaret, I love you. I am in love with you, and have been for quite some time now."
Margaret stared at him with widened eyes. She opened her mouth to respond, but her brain wouldn't let her form the words. She was absolutely speechless.
"Please, Margaret, say something," he pleaded nervously.
Instead of speaking, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his in a soft, loving kiss. When they pulled apart, she smiled brightly at him.
"Well, that told me everything that I needed to know--and quite a bit more." He leaned in and kissed her again, this time longer, and with more force and passion. Once they broke their embrace, he kissed her forehead before loosening his grip slightly. "Listen, I've got lunch with CJ, but how would you like to come over this evening and have dinner with me?"
"I'd like that very much," she whispered.
"Alright then, it's settled. I'll arrange for CJ to let you off work early this evening, and I'll be back by to pick you up at, say, eight o'clock."
"Sounds perfect," she told him, pulling him to her and kissing him again. They parted quickly as the phone began to ring. The phone saved them from any embarrassment, as Donna and Charlie walked into Margaret's office at the same moment. They spoke to Leo briefly, before they left to once again return to their desks. Stepping next to Margaret, he kissed her one last time on the cheek, before entering his old office to wait for CJ.