When Lighting Strikes Twice

Rating: PG-13 to be safe

Couples: J/D

Category: Angst, Drama, Romance

Summary: This wasn't suppose to happen. You didn't bury people who were young enough to be your child. That wasn't how life was supposed to work. However, fate seemed to be out to get them all.

Disclaimers: These characters aren't mine (god knows I wish that they were) they belong to Aaron Sorkin etc.

Author's Notes: This is my first fanfic so tell me if you like it. This takes place in the second term of the administration, but since it is an AU Sam is still at the White House, and will is not. Major Major Angst Alert!! You may want lots of tissues. I even had a hard time writing it. Please read and review. Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you to all those who have reviewed this so far your comments mean so much I hope that you all continue to enjoy the story.

Chapter 6 She found the 10th circle of Hell, the one that Dante failed to discover, the Pressroom

November 15

10:00 AM

She wasn't ready for this. They were now in the Senior Staff meeting prepare for what she thought to be the toughest briefing she would ever have to do, and of course it was the one she didn't want to do. However, she knew that she didn't really have a choice. It had to be done.

"It just seems so wrong. By announcing it to the world it makes it so final, and I really don't want that."

They all turned to look at her. This had been the first time she had talked during the whole meeting. Mostly she had just been nodding at everything they had been saying. Now, it wasn't her nodding, but everyone else.

"But it has to be done, so what am I going to say?"

"Sam and Toby finished the statement. Read it at the briefing. Explain that we will let them know the funeral plans as soon as they are made. Also tell them that we will have the doctor that operated on Josh here for questions in a day or two."

Leo finished and handed her the statement.

"You'll do fine. Calm down."

She nodded and left the room followed by Sam and Toby. She had 30 minutes to prepare for the press briefing that she could never, in her life, prepare for.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Pressroom

10:30 AM

She walked into the briefing room. Moments before Sam and Toby had been with her in an effort to calm her down. Now, as she reached the podium she could feel all eyes on her and see the flashes from all the cameras. She placed the statement on the on the podium and took a deep breath, just like those that she had taken before she walked in here, in an effort to calm herself. Then she started.

"Good morning everyone. I have some sad news. At 10:03 PM on Monday, November 14, Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman died after sustaining a gunshot wound two days prier. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made, but I will let you know as soon as they have. Also the doctor that operated on Josh will be here in two days to answer any questions you might have of the medical related nature. However, right now I will take questions and answer what I am able to."

For the first time ever, after CJ had finished her statement, the pressroom was silent. They did not shout her name for a full minute, a sort of onionskins moment of silence for the man who had given their bosses who worked on late night TV a never ending stream of jokes. They paused to remember Josh. However, moments like this never last forever.

"CJ, CJ."

The room erupted into noise.

"Katie."

"Is the reason to why Josh was shot known?"

"Nothing more than it was a random attack. It looks like the guy just woke up and decided that shooting someone was a good idea. Greg."

"CJ, can you tell us what some of the complications were that were contributing factors of Josh's death?"

"No, first of all I'm not a doctor so I wouldn't know anyway and second of all I wasn't Josh's doctor, so even if I had been a doctor he wasn't my patient. In other words I can't help you with that one, but in two days when Josh's doctor does come I'm sure that he can help you. Bill."

She could feel her control start to waver, and know that she would have to finish soon unless she wanted to give the press another story to write about too.

"Has Josh's family been informed?"

"Yes, Josh's mother arrived here last night and will be staying at the White House until after the funeral. Danny."

This was going to be the last one as she could already feel the tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. God he better make this quick.

"CJ, can it be said who the President has been brainstorming to fill the position of Deputy Chief of Staff?"

"Yes, that position has been offered to Donna Moss Josh's assistant since the campaign. As of the now the President is waiting for a reply from Donna. Well that's all I have. I'll see you at two o'clock for the actual briefing."

She grabbed the statement and quickly made her way from the podium. There was one thing that she wasn't going to let these vultures see, and so she had to get out fast. She made it to the door just in time.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Donna switched off the TV. She had woken up at 10:20 so that had blown to hell her plan to go against Leo and the President, but she figured that she could at least watch the Press Conference. CJ had done an astonishing good job for something that she probably had to pushed to podium to do. Never the less it had still been flawless. There was only one problem that she was almost certain the press didn't catch. It was her eyes. CJ eyes had looked dead. There had been no sparkle in them not even a little they looked dull and lifeless. They probably looked like what Donna assumed hers did. It hadn't been any thing big, but it had been there. She got up from the couch deciding that she needed to do something. So she walked to the fridge and started to make breakfast.