Title: Lightning by Willow
Synopsis: Lightning never strike the same people twice, does it?
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Anything up to S6, set around S4

Part III

AIR FORCE ONE

As CJ left the press cabin they were still shouting questions at her. "Lock them in," she told Carol. "Do you know where Josh is?"

"Staff cabin last I saw him."

CJ nodded and went to find Josh. She had to admit he looked alright, he didn't appear to be having any kind of episode, although he had been a little pale in the car, but then who could blame him. When she entered the staff cabin, Josh was on the phone and she caught the end of his conversation.

"... I'll call you when I get back, but I'm fine... okay, love you," he said and hung up.

"Your mom?" CJ asked.

"Yeah, more ammunition for her 'you should get a safer job' campaign," Josh smiled sadly.

"She's bound to worry about you," CJ reasoned as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah. How are you?"

CJ shrugged, "Just about stopped shaking. You?"

"'Bout the same. Press giving you a hard time?"

"You'd think that after being shot at they'd be a little subdued wouldn't you. If they ask me one more time who the shooters were, who sent them, who was the target; swear to God, Josh, I'm opening the doors and pushing them out one at a time."

"Are they annoying you?" Josh asked with a small smile.

"How can you tell?"

"Do we know if anyone was hurt yet?"

"Yes, that's another question," CJ agreed.

"That was me asking."

"Oh, sorry. One of the agents was hit in the leg, but it's not serious, and a man in the crowd managed to break his arm somehow. Other than that, everyone seems to be fine." As CJ spoke she couldn't forget the last time they were shot at. Then they'd believed everyone was fine, until Toby had found Josh. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. "You didn't look too hot in the car."

"I was a little shakey," Josh admitted.

"You were white."

"I'd just been shot at and cut my head."

"Yeah," CJ agreed. "You pulled me back down," she smiled.

"Yeah well, standing up when someone's shooting at you is a little dumb," Josh smiled.

"I thought it had stopped."

"Maybe it had," Josh said quietly.

"I don't...?"

"Nothing."

CJ gave up for now, but she knew there was something. "Have you phoned Donna?"

"Yes."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WHITE HOUSE

Toby knew something wasn't right. Josh would be here, but he couldn't find him. He pushed through the crowd, searched everywhere, but there was no sign of Josh and no one had seen him. Then suddenly he saw him, sat holding his chest, blood pouring through his fingers and onto the ground, into the big pool of blood that surrounded him. Toby tried to get to him, but the crowd held him back. He called Josh's name and Josh looked up, held eye contact for a second and then looked back down. Toby broke free of the crowd and ran to Josh's side, caught Josh as he fell. Blood was pouring over both of them, Toby tried to call for help, but no sound came out of his mouth. Josh looked up at him and then closed his eyes, the blood stopped flowing, perhaps there was none left, but Toby knew Josh was dead, had died in his arms.

"Toby," Donna shook Toby's shoulder. "Hey, wake up. You okay?"

Toby opened his eyes and looked up at Donna. "Where's Josh?" he asked as the nightmare clung to his mind.

"They've left Andrews, they'll be back here in fifteen minutes."

"Okay."

Donna gave Toby a concerned look, but knew he was no more likely to talk about his feelings than Josh was. "I'm going to the mess to see if there's any food, you want anything?"

"Yeah, whatever there is, thanks," Toby replied. "I'm going to see Leo."

Once Donna had left, Toby tried to bring his thoughts back to now, back to 2003, not 2000, but the nightmare had disturbed him. He hadn't had that dream in almost three years. He went to Leo's office, walked in and sat down on the couch.

"You look terrible," Leo told him.

"I know," Toby agreed. "Have we heard anything else?"

"No."

"We haven't heard anything, or we haven't heard anything you can tell me?" Toby asked.

"Is there a difference?"

"No," Toby sighed. "So they're all okay?"

"They've all been seen by the doctor, they're fine. What about you?"

"I have the flu, I should be at home in bed," Toby complained.

(Continued...)