"What the hell!" Josh exclaimed, the moment Amy Gardner sauntered into his office in the West Wing.
"Hi there."
"What's going on?"
"I'm fine, thanks, how are you?"
"Amy, I swear to God…"
"All right," Amy said, sitting down on Josh's couch. "Ready for this?"
"No."
"Okay. The First Lady attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace today."
"Yeah. Ok. And…?"
"She went with Sir Prescott."
"No, she didn't," Josh replied, instantly delving into denial.
"Yes…she did, Josh."
"No. She didn't."
"Josh!"
"I don't believe you."
"Mrs. Bartlet went with Sir Prescott, and Zoey was escorted by Sir Prescott's son. Oliver, I think his name is. The kid who was in the magazine with her," Amy explained.
"Are there pictures?"
"There will be."
"Well, that's okay. Your press secretary announced it this morning, didn't she?" Josh asked.
"No."
"No? Why the hell not?"
"We didn't know about it, Josh! Why the hell do you think I'm here right now?"
"You didn't know that the First Lady was going to the most important event in London. With another man."
"That's right. I didn't know, Brantley didn't know…"
"Who's Brantley?"
"Her social secretary!"
"The First Lady has a male social secretary?" Josh said, in disbelief.
"She also has a female Chief of Staff. You got a problem with that?"
"No, ma'am!"
"Look, you realize how big this is gonna be, right?" Amy questioned.
"Yeah. I just…damnit. Leo sent everyone home about an hour ago."
"Why?"
Josh grinned.
"Date with the Surgeon General."
"Leo and Dr. Griffith?"
"Yep. Gold, isn't it?"
"I'd love to be a fly on the wall during that date," Amy commented.
"Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway. I'm gonna call Leo."
"Don't interrupt his date, Josh. You know how first dates are."
"I don't have a choice, Amy. He's gotta know about this."
"Yeah. Ok. I'm gonna get on the phone and find out what I can."
"Ok. I'll call you after I get off the phone with Leo."
"Try and be subtle, Josh. The President's best friend is out on a date with the First Lady's best friend."
"So?"
"So, there's bound to be a mutiny of some kind. The First Couple's going through a difficult time right now. I'm sure Leo and Dr. Griffith have…taken sides."
"This isn't high school, Amy. They're professionals."
"Semantics, Leo!"
"Millie."
"I am not gonna play games with you. Not tonight."
Millicent Griffith and Leo McGarry sat in an intimate corner of one of Georgetown's finest restaurants. Shortly after placing their dinner orders, a storm of their own broke.
"I don't wanna play games. I'm trying to have a civil conversation, which you are turning into a discussion of…"
"Semantics!"
"It's fact!"
"It's an analysis." Millie remained steadfast.
"Ok. You're right. Let's change the subject."
"Fine. How's Mallory?"
"Very good. How are Joe and Evan?" Leo asked.
"Very good. Spoken to Jenny lately?"
Leo stared back at her incredulously.
"Spoken to Scott lately?"
"Touché."
"I feel like breaking out into a rousing version of 'Farewell, Amanda.'"
Millie shot him a look of confusion.
"What?"
"Adam's Rib. Tracy and Hepburn…"
"Oh."
"All of the bickering and bantering we're doing just…" Leo began.
"Reminds you of Tracy and Hepburn."
"Yeah."
"I like to think we're more…Desk Set than Adam's Rib."
"How about Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?"
"Hmm. Well, did Mallory recently bring home an African American fiancee named Sidney Poitier?"
"Not recently," Leo replied.
"Then I think it's safe to rule that one out."
"Yeah."
Millie scowled and rolled her eyes when Leo's cell phone suddenly began ringing, loudly, causing a stir throughout the swanky restaurant.
"For God's sake, Leo," she whispered.
"What! It's not like I called myself!" Leo answered, taking out his phone and flipping it open.
"What?" He said, with irritation.
"It's me," Josh said.
"Who the hell else would it be?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt your hot date, but this is important."
"I told you to go home, Josh. Damnit, why didn't you just go home?"
"I was on my way out when Amy called," Josh explained.
"This is about Amy?"
"If by Amy you mean the First Lady, then yeah. It is."
Leo groaned audibly, causing Millie to raise an eyebrow out of curiosity.
"What happened?"
"Mrs. Bartlet attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace this afternoon, with Sir Prescott. Amy didn't know about it, neither did the First Lady's social secretary. Not to mention the press. Zoey was with her, escorted by Sir Prescott's son, Oliver."
"Are there pictures yet?"
"Not yet. That's why we're jumping on this now."
"Ok. Round up the rest of the staff. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"All right."
"Hey, Josh."
"Yeah?"
"How did Amy find out about this if she didn't know ahead of time?" Leo questioned.
"Uh…Liz, I think."
"Okay. I'll be there soon."
"See ya."
Leo shut his phone off, returned it to its place in his pocket, then looked up at his date shamefaced.
"I'm sorry."
"What is it now?"
"It seems that Abbey went to Buckingham Palace with Tony Prescott this afternoon, unannounced."
Millie nodded.
"What? What was that nod?" Leo asked.
"I should have seen that coming."
"Why?"
"He brushed her off, she's teaching him a lesson," Millie explained.
"What the hell kind of lesson is that?"
Millie shrugged nonchalantly.
"It's a lesson in vengeance."
Leo McGarry traveled the seemingly long distance from his office to the Residence taking his time. He greeted the agents that were stationed at various points and stopped from time to time to admire the artwork on the walls. He had never been very skilled at procrastination. The last thing he wanted to do was give the President more bad news. It was as if nothing good had happened within the last few weeks. But this wasn't just bad news politically speaking. It was also bad news personally. Leo knew it was difficult for his best friend to have to juggle the political aspects of his marital problems along with the personal. It was only going to get worse from here.
Leo approached the agents that stood somberly in front of the President's bedroom.
"How ya doing, guys?"
"Fine, thank you, Mr. McGarry."
"Has the President gone to bed?"
"No, sir. The President's in his grandson's bedroom."
"Oh. Okay. Thank you."
Leo spun around and began walking in the opposite direction. When he reached the bedroom that he remembered to be Gus', he paused in front of the door and lightly tapped on it. Though he received no response, he could voice soft, hushed voices from inside the room. He opened the door a crack and, without a word, stuck his head in the room. Leo found Jed Bartlet lying in his grandson's bed, with both of his grandchildren flanking him on either side. He had an arm around both of them and a book in his lap.
"Read more, Grandpa," Gus demanded, lethargically, when he noticed that Jed had stopped.
"I'm sorry, Mr. President. Could I…?"
Jed nodded, ruefully. He kissed Annie on the cheek and Gus on the forehead before getting off the bed.
"I'll be back soon," Jed said to his grandchildren, who merely nodded in response.
He followed Leo out of the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
"What's going on?"
"I've got the gang down in the Oval," Leo answered, nervously.
"What happened, Leo?"
"Why don't you just come with me, sir. We'll explain it all to you in a minute."
Jed reluctantly agreed and accompanied Leo downstairs and into the Oval Office. CJ, Sam, Josh, Toby, Will, and Amy were assembled insid, sitting in complete silence, which was a very unusual occurance.
"Good evening, Mr. President."
"Sit down, guys. Let's get this over with. What's going on?" Jed questioned, sitting in his chair.
They all looked at Amy.
"Well…Mr. President, it seems that the First Lady…"
"Oh, God," Jed mumbled.
"The First Lady attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace this afternoon. With Sir Prescott. It looks to have been a spur of the moment decision, as she neglected to inform anyone at her office, myself and Brantley Moore."
Jed nodded, pensively.
"How did you find out? Are there pictures already?"
"No, sir. Zoey attended the party as well, with Oliver Prescott, and she called Liz. Liz happened to be in my office when Zoey called her and…"
"Yeah. Okay. CJ, how long before word of this gets out?" Jed asked.
"I highly doubt there'll be anything tonight, sir. But I think it's safe to say I'll be unundated with questions in the press room by tomorrow morning," CJ responded.
"How do you want to handle this, Amy?" Leo inquired.
"I don't like to make an official comment without speaking to Mrs. Bartlet first. I'd like to wait and see if calls me about it."
"Your numbers are gonna take a hit," Jed said, stating the obvious.
"Yeah," Amy said, sadly. "We'll be down in the early twenties by tomorrow, I'd say."
"Mr. President, our numbers are gonna take a hit too, you know," Josh pointed out.
"Ours? Why?"
"Due respect, sir, but the First Lady is out blatantly running around with another man, in the Queen's presence no less, while you're still deciding whether or not you want to sign separation papers! It makes you look like a wuss!"
"Josh," Leo admonished. "Sir, what Josh means is…"
"I know what Josh means, Leo," Jed replied. "And he's right."
"Mr. President, you need to the sign the papers," Josh said, adamently.
Jed nodded.
"What do you guys think?"
"Despite what Josh may say, I don't think that's our call, sir," Sam said.
"From a PR standpoint, I can say that's what you should do, yes, but Sam's right," Toby added.
"This is a personal decision, sir, and you need to make it on your own. Not because we pressured you to," CJ said.
"Leo?" Jed said.
"I'm with them. It's up to you."
"Yeah. Okay. Would one of you go get Charlie and tell him to bring me the papers please?"
Josh looked back at his president, confusion plain on his face.
"Sir, what are you going to do? Are you going to sign them, or are you going to…?"
"Get Charlie," Jed responded, simply.
"Yes, sir."