"I have been known by many titles, the most recent being: Secretary of Labour, General Chairman 'Bartlet For America 1998', White House Chief of Staff, Advisor to President Seaborn but my favorites are Dad and Grandpa. I have been called many things: drug addict, alcoholic and once even an addle-minded, Machiavellian jerk all of which are true, although I resent the fact that my daughter called me a jerk."
There was a ripple of laughter in the audience and Leo smiled.
"Admittedly the children that call me Grandpa aren't actually my grandchildren by blood, they're my grandchildren by fire. Some of you, if not most, will be confused by this so I shall explain. It is the children of Josh & Donna Lyman, Sam & Lizzie Seaborn and C.J. & Toby Cregg-Ziegler that call me Grandpa; I love this men and women as much as I love my own daughter Mallory and love their children as my grandchildren. Now my wife, who is sitting at the back of the audience, would tell you that despite my gruff exterior I am a softy inside - this may be true, I will not deny it (just don't spread it around), it's taken thirty years to cultivate my gruff exterior and I don't plan on changing now. My point is that politics brings out the worst in people, and people bring out the best. I've seen politics ruin families and marriages and so to see how friendship, politics and fire can bring people together reminds you that we are all human after all.
"Politics and many other things ruined my first marriage and the same can be said for Toby Ziegler but we have both found love and happiness again even if it has taken some of our darkest times to bring that love to light. Many of you will know about that shooting in Rosslyn, Virginia in 2000 when a group tried to assassinate the President's daughter, Zoey Bartlet, and her black boyfriend, Charlie Young. That group did not succeed instead they shot the President and Josh Lyman. That is the fire of which I speak, that nightmare in Rosslyn and all the resulting trauma is what has kept us all together. Now nearly twenty years later Josh is a father of four and the President is a grandfather of five - including the son of Zoey and Charlie Young. I know that we were so lucky that night because it could have been so much worse."
Leo took a moment to survey the captive audience in front of him, this would be his last lecture and he wanted it to be one of his best.
"Of course there are risks associated to working the White House but they are drowned out by the fact you work in the White House; you get to walk through those doors every morning knowing that you may never have this opportunity again, having the weight of the world on your shoulders but it is worth it. I got to work for my best friend, who was a very good President, and know that I was doing the right thing or, at least trying and that I was helping him to do the same. Working at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue gave me more than I could have ever hoped for and despite the bumps along the road we came out in one piece and some of us were happier than we ever had been. I could have not asked for a better group of people to work with, they became my friends and family.
"Remember: if politics brings out the worst in people, then people bring out the best - C.J. Cregg 2001. Thank you for listening, I am Leo McGarry former White House Chief of Staff."
A/N: Well folks, that's it. This is the last of The Bartlet Dream - from now on I shall be focusing on the sequal to 'Finally'.