What Matters Most
Summary: The President's stance with Cuba brings about an unexpected situation. Post-ep for Ninety Miles Away.
Author's Notes: When I saw "90 Miles Away" and Donna and Toby were on the phone and they couldn't hear each other, this fic jumped out of the screen and said, 'Jen, write me.' So if you hate it, blame the television I was watching :) This is an 18 chapter fic that's fairly angsty and takes liberties in developing both Matt and Helen Santos far more than the show has cared to do so far. (Especially Helen). It's not my typical humor fic. Let me repeat that; it's NOT my typical humor fic.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Josh's phone rang and he looked at the caller id. Toby again. They'd spoken the day before, kind of. He took a deep breath and answered. "Toby," he yelled over the crowd.
"We're still not talking."
"Yet my phone keeps ringing." He kept the phone close to his ear and stepped inside the small pavilion at Gwen Cherry Park that was being used as the headquarters for the day's rally. It was barely the size of his living room, but still the two candidates had staked out their own sides, Russell's staff taking over the side with the kitchenette and several picnic tables, Santos' staff taking over the side with the restroom and two picnic tables. The noise quieted down just a little, but it was enough to hear.
"He's doing an address in ten minutes."
"I know," he said, still shouting a little. "He talked to the Congressman. He couldn't have waited a week?" The noise volume rose a little as the door opened and a Russell volunteer walked in and rushed by him.
"Josh, look around you. What do you think all the noise is for? They already know."
Josh sighed. "Yeah."
"Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up on when. I'm calling Donna too."
"She's here somewhere, but Russell's already on stage."
They were doing four of these in Florida. Not debates, just both of them taking their turn speaking. They were Josh's idea once Hoynes became a mute point. 'We put you both up there to say what you're going to do and what you believe in. Let people get a good look at both of you so they can make an informed decision.' That's what he'd said when he pitched the idea to Santos, who'd loved it immediately. Pitching it to Will and Donna didn't go quite as smoothly.
Josh knew Will was smart enough to know that side by side, Santos would kick Russell's ass, like he had in the debates. To his face, however, he'd never admit defeat. Instead, he went with the 'why give credit to your candidate by being seen with him' excuse. Josh had simply rolled his eyes; Santos had won California, he didn't need Russell to look like a real candidate, and one glance at Donna told him she agreed. Their relationship might have been strained recently, but Donna knew Josh well enough to never count him out.
Even now, he wasn't sure what made them change their mind. Maybe it was the belief that they could fill him with enough good things to say up there, maybe it was the fear that Josh would pull another chicken stunt, but Josh suspected it was the even greater fear that the Congressman would buy himself another minute of television.
No matter, three days after going to them, they'd come back with an offer and the details had been worked out soon after. In Miami and Tampa, Russell would go on stage first. In Jacksonville and Pensacola, Santos would. The idea, of course, being that if they took turns, neither would bash the other on stage. Russell would anyway, Josh was sure. Still, he thought it was worth it and the Congressman agreed.
"He went on, knowing this was coming?"
"I think he's planning on being done before the President goes on the air so he doesn't have to comment on it."
"Spineless."
"Yeah."
"What's Santos going to say?"
Josh looked over at the congressman in the corner, his wife adjusting his tie and scowling at him, and his mind drifted for just a second to Donna. Make that a bowtie and it could've been them. Was them a year ago. Shaking the thought out of his head, he turned his attention back to Toby. "That it's obvious the current policy isn't working and although he hasn't been privy to the talks, the President believes the situation is promising and at this point they need to try anything they can. It's pretty much going to kill us here."
"At least he's not chickening out."
"Compliments for my guy, Toby?"
Toby ignored the question. "Maybe you'll luck out. If they're at the rally, they can't hear the address."
"Somehow I think they'll find out about it." Somehow they always did.
"Yeah."
"Listen, I gotta go. We're almost up. I'll…not talk to you soon." He disconnected and looked at his phone. That didn't go so bad. Yes, the Castro thing was a nightmare, but talking to Toby hadn't gone bad. It appeared they were going to be typical men and just ignore the fight, hoping things would eventually get back to normal. And knowing the two of them as he did, they probably would.
He opened the door and walked back outside where he could barely hear Russell rambling on about the importance of higher education over the sounds of the crowd. He peeked around the side of the makeshift stage with the podium on it to the crowd. It was even louder without the barrier of the drapes he was standing behind. He glanced around at the signs. "CASTRO MUDERS," "FREE CUBA," "CASTRO IS NOT OUR FRIEND," and the most popular, "KILL CASTRO." He glanced back to Russell on stage and for a brief moment he almost felt sorry for him. He was like a sitting duck up there.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Donna answer her cell and then walk off the stage, and he glanced back behind the curtain as she continued walking off to the right side of the pavilion, away from the buses and the staff. He wondered briefly if she'd be able to hear Toby any better than he had.
He stood behind the dark blue curtain and thought maybe he was at a heavy metal concert instead of a presidential rally. It was about time, he thought with a smile, that the American public was as excited about the state of their country as they were a Metalica concert. Then he cringed at the thought that the only heavy metal band he could think of was Metalica. He was getting old.
Congressman Santos came out of the pavilion and stood next to him. "Russell's got 'em riled up," he yelled over the crowd, although Josh barely heard him.
Josh rolled his eyes. Russell couldn't rile up a crowd of boy scouts, much less a crowd of voters. Santos laughed at him. "Don't worry Josh. It's just a speech," he yelled again, patting him on the shoulder.
They listened as Russell began his closing. Will stood only five feet from them and Josh nodded to him. No doubt he was mad they'd accepted Josh's offer, but how was Josh supposed to know this was going to happen? He was hardly privy to anything going on in the White House these days. In fact, if anyone should've known, it's Will. He certainly had more access than Josh did at the moment, a fact Josh pretended didn't piss him off.
Russell finished to very little applause and walked behind the curtain. Josh could see him yelling something to Will, but couldn't hear what they were saying as the crowd started chanting 'Free Cuba' over and over. The announcer looked at the congressman who gave him a thumbs up and then stepped onto the other side of the curtain to announce him, but the chanting got even louder and Josh wondered if they'd even be able to hear Santos speak.
Santos shouted something to Josh, but he couldn't make it out. He leaned in closer, and then felt something. A bump almost. And then another; stronger this time. And then the stage was moving underneath them and people were screaming and the chanting was even louder and suddenly Josh was trying to block out the sounds of sirens in his head.
Santos lost his balance and Josh reached out and grabbed him by instinct. He looked to his right and saw that the Vice-President was already being pulled from the falling stage and ushered off by the secret service, Will in tow.
They made it to the side of the stage as there was another large hit, this time knocking both he and the congressman off their feet and onto the cement below. A metal rod that had been holding the curtain in place fell on top of them, covering them both with dark blue fabric, and it took a few seconds for them to get up and out of it. The congressman yelled something to Josh again, but he couldn't hear him, and he looked past the congressman's shoulder at the crowd that was storming and shaking the stage, or what was left of it, still chanting, screaming really. Sweat trickled from his nose and forehead and he wiped his face with the back of his hand and wiped his hand on his pants, then he grabbed the congressman by the shoulder and pulled him towards the pavilion. Just as he opened the door to push him inside, he saw the Vice-President's bus pulling away from the curb to the left of the building.
When they were inside, the congressman rushed to his wife, gripping her dearly. "You need to leave, Congressman," he yelled to them. Santos continued holding his wife, eyes closed, the noise deafening. Again Josh yelled, "You need to leave Congressman." It had been about two minutes since the riot started. Time was still on their side, but wouldn't be for long.
The congressman opened his eyes, looking at Josh, and nodded. He took his wife's hand and they moved back to the door. Josh wondered if he was insane as he took a deep breath and opened if for better or worse.
He looked towards the minivan they'd rented, which had been parked directly behind the Vice-President's campaign bus. The van was only about thirty feet away, but a huge crowd was now between them and it, and fights had begun to break out in the crowd. He watched, frozen for a second, as two men brutally beat each other with fists.
He shook himself out of it and looked back in the pavilion. Behind the congressman and Helen stood Ronna and Ned. "You've got to go now," he screamed. "Just run and leave the second you're in the van.
Santos nodded. "Lead the way," he screamed.
Josh shook his head. "I've got to get Donna!"
"What?"
"Donna! She…. Just go. I'll meet you later."
Santos reached around him and slammed the door shut. "What?"
"Donna," he said, still yelling, but not as loud with the door closed. "She went off the other way. There's no way she's with Russell. I've got to get her."
"Josh, we need to go. Now."
"I agree," he yelled again. "Go."
"You need to come with us."
He shook his head again. "I can't do that, Sir."
"Josh…." His words trailed off as Josh opened the door again and shoved the Congressman out of it. He looked at Josh one last time, then put his arm around Helen and took off running for the minivan, Ned and Ronna behind them. Josh watched as they ran, and once they were all inside, he turned and ran the other way.