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 7

Breaking down in six parts

November 15

10:55 AM

Leo met CJ at the door of the briefing room.

"You did good," he said patting her on the back.

That was all that she could handle. The dam broke and her tears began to fall. Leo led her to her office. He helped her sit down and then turned towards her.

"You been so good at this, so let it out now."

She continued to cry as he stood and started to walk out of her office as Danny walked in. He made his way to his office thinking two down five to go.

He entered his office his face one that showed he was definitely deep in thought. This was going to be the death of him. Not the fact that Josh was dead, but the aftermath. Toby had told him about Donna's nightmare, and now CJ had cracked. What was he going to do? His staff, himself, and the President were all having their own kink of break down over Josh's death. He was worried about everyone, but mostly about Donna. While everyone else would break and then rebuild so to speak he didn't know how long this would take Donna, or what kind of toll it would take on her. For now he would just have to do what he could for everyone and take things as they came.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He turned off the TV. The briefing was over. CJ had done with grace what no one else could do; make such a hard task look so easy. He picked the ball up from his desk and looked at it. Josh was dead. The whole idea hadn't entirely sunk in yet. He threw the ball, knowing that when it the glass Sam wouldn't come running because Sam wasn't there right now. It bounced back. Josh would never walk into the White House again. He caught it. Josh would never walk the halls of the West Wing again. He threw it. Josh would never be in the Communication Bullpen from now on. It bounced. He would never be in his office arguing about how the bill should be written. It was caught. He would never utter another word. It was thrown. Thought. It bounced. Thought. It was caught. Thought. This pattern continued for about 5 minutes, with the force of the throw becoming more intense each time, until the ball didn't bounce back as the glass of the window shattered sending a silent message.

"Enough dwelling. I don't want this."

A call was placed 10 minutes later to maintenance due to a broken window.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Jed, Josh's mother and I are having lunch soon. Do you want to join us? It will give you time for a break."

Jed Bartlet's thoughts were interrupted by the calling of his wife from the doorway of the living room.

"Nah, I have to go to the office."

"Jed you can't keep your feelings suppressed like this."

Abbey walked into the room and Jed turned to her. He had tears streaming down his checks, and he looked old.

"Babe, we all miss him, and wished that this had never happened, but what you are trying to do isn't healthy you have to let it out."

"I can"

With this Jed let the tears flow as Abbey came to embrace him in a hug. It was only then that Jed noticed that she to was crying.

"We'll get though it. We all will..."

He whispered as Abbey continued to cry with him.

"... And we'll help Donna out once she figures it out. We won't make anyone do this on their own."

Abbey looked up and gave him as a smile as she wiped her tears away, and then his.

"So will you come eat with us then?"

"No. I wasn't just going to go to the office. I do have some work I need to do, but don't worry I'll be alright, and I promise I'll have something to eat."

"Alright Jethro, I'll let you off the hook this time."

She walked out of the room. Jed got up and walked out of the door towards the Oval Office.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sam sat at Josh's desk trying to clean off some of the garbage that littered it. He had been here for almost an hour, and yet he still couldn't see the top of the desk. Of course it probably wasn't helping that he had to stop every other minute to wipe away the tears that kept appearing in his eyes. He tried to prevent them by think about anything other than what he was doing, but every piece of paper every little item he found seemed to cause him to discover some way that it could be connected to Josh. There was no ending in sight to the possibilities. He thought about what he had wanted to do at the launching of this task. He had wanted to help Donna out by starting the daunting chore, but all he could think was that he had just made the mess bigger.

"I thought I might find you here."

Sam looked up with a start to find Josh standing in front of him.

"Aw Sam don't look so dumbfounded. You wanted this to happen. You knew that if you waited long enough you would see me."

"I didn't."

"Sam don't try it, your poker face isn't much better than mine. You got to stop this. You were the one that told everyone that moping wasn't what I would have wanted. Now stop being a hypocrite and practice what you preach. You were right. I don't want people to mope around so stop doing it."

Sam sat there flabbergasted.

"Josh I'm sorry I'll stop."

"That's all I ask buddy."

Josh turned and opened the door and turned to give Sam one last smile. Then he left. A minute or two later Sam woke up.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Leo sat at his desk. He wasn't sure what time it was, well for that matter he wasn't sure about a lot right now, but he knew it was late since wasn't light outside. He looked at the empty bottle that sat on his desk. It hadn't been the best scotch, but it had done the trick. He looked at the bottle again, and realized what he had done. He hadn't wanted to do it, but he didn't know another way to get rid of the pain. Josh was dead. He was pretty sure that since the bottle was empty, and he still felt the lose of the boy he had taken under his wing, and in the end had become the son he never had, that this scheme hadn't worked as he had wished.

"Leo, it's 10:30 are you leaving yet?"

"Yeah...I...I ...Yeah in a few minutes."

"Leo what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm leaving in five minutes so you can go. I'll be fine. Thank you for getting me. "

He hoped that this would get her to go without her meddling, but Margaret didn't seem to want to leave this alone as she stepped into his office, and looked around for a second before she spotted it.

"Leo why is there an empty bottle of scotch sitting on you desk?"

"I like to take it out and look at it every once in a while."

"Leo I'm getting the President."

"No! I'm fine. I told you I am leaving in five."

"Fine."

She went shutting the door behind her. Good he could be by himself again. Of course, at some point he would have to get up and get started for home, but he would worry about it when the time came. There was a knock on the door.

"Margaret, I said five minutes."

"Yeah, she told me that."

Leo struggled to stand up as the President entered the room.

"Sit down Leo. There's no point in you trying to stand up when you really can't. Yes, I know exactly what you did, and can I point out that it perhaps wasn't the best choice you've made lately."

"Sir?"

"Damn it Leo! Don't play dumb with me. I know what you did."

"See here's the thing Mr. President I don't think you do."

"Okay, then try to stand up again, and we'll see just how mistaken I am."

Leo glanced at the President with a look a pure poison as he pushed the chair away from the desk and started to stand. But he didn't get that far as the world around him started to spin. Jed was by his side in a heartbeat helping him back into his chair.

"That's what I thought."

His voice was gentler now, as he watched Leo put is head in his hands.

"Leo. I know it's hard, but you can't resort to this."

"He was like the son I never had. How can I bury him, when it's not really his time to go? He still had plenty of time left. Why now?"

Jed nodded. He too was wonder the same thing.

"Stay at the residence tonight. You came have one of the spare bedrooms. I know you didn't do it to spite anyone, but I was just so pissed off. I mean you could have come to anyone of us. No one should have to go through this kind of stuff alone. Come on stay."

Leo nodded recognizing the tone that Jed was using to be the one he used when his mind was already made up. By now he realized that there was not point in arguing, and if he did Jed would just tag team against him with Abbey.

"Alright."

"Good lets go."

Jed helped him up as Leo put his arm around Jed's shoulder for support. They made their way slowly towards the residence, only stopping once for Jed to say:

"You know my friend you can always come to me."

Then they continued on in their journey.

TBC