Moving OnIt's time to choose Leo's successor -- sometimes insane ideas are the best ideas.
Josh, Matt, Jed et al
Small spoilers for season 7 -- The Cold, Election Day (although I have no idea who's going to win on the show) and Requiem.
NOTE: Yes, I know, in real life politics this pairing of president and vice president would be unlikely to say the least, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen ... does it?
Chapter 2 -- Tough Choices
Santos/McGarry Headquarters - Monday 14th November
Josh was sitting in his office with the door closed, in the vain hope that no one would disturb him. Under normal circumstances, Donna would have been teasing him about hiding away, but these weren't normal circumstances. At the other end of their office suite a meeting was about to begin, the subject was the one everyone had been discussing for the past two weeks, and by everyone Josh didn't just mean his staff. This was the topic of talk shows, news items and op eds across the country. Who would President Elect Matthew Santos choose as his vice president?
Josh was painfully aware that they had to choose, and that they had maybe a month in which to do it. He knew Leo would be yelling at him to get the job done. And he knew he'd promised Jed Bartlet that he'd be the one to do it. But he had no motivation and certainly no enthusiasm for the job, and that was something that worried him.
Never before had he felt like this. Usually, when events in his personal life, or his professional life for that matter, got too much for him, work was where he found his release, his solace. Work had always been his escape from the things around him that he couldn't control. This sudden lack of motivation scared him and made him think that perhaps it was time to call it a day, to move on. Maybe his mother had been right over the years, maybe the private sector was the place to be.
He was rudely dragged from his musings by a loud knocking at the door. "What?" he snapped.
"You're late," Lou told him when she entered the office.
Josh looked at his watch and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah."
"Look, I know you don't want to take the meeting, but we have to decide on someone."
"So you take the meeting."
"Santos wants you there." Lou studied Josh. She'd known him for years, though for most of that time they'd been adversaries, so she wasn't sure she was the person who should be asking this, but someone had to ask. "Josh, what's going on?"
"We're apparently going to choose a VP."
"With you. What's going on with you? You're acting like you don't want to be here, like you wish we hadn't won."
While Josh knew that was true, he wasn't going to discuss it with Lou. "Let's get this meeting over with," he said, his voice resigned as he stood up and walked around his desk.
"Are you still with us?" Lou asked.
"I'm here aren't I?"
"No, not really."
"We only buried Leo last Monday, Lou. What the hell do you want from me?" Josh asked angrily.
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An hour into the meeting and they were still no nearer agreement. Lou wanted Baker, but Bram, Donna and Matt weren't convinced, after all Baker had turned them down five months earlier, why should he be able to jump onboard now that they'd won. Joey Lucas wanted them to look further afield than the senate, suggesting they look at Berryhill. Annabeth and Josh had hardly contributed anything at all.
As the staff argued, Matt looked across the room at Josh. He'd been unnaturally quiet all afternoon, although he hadn't really been with them for the last week, not since election night. Matt understood that Josh was in mourning, he knew how close Josh and Leo had been, but at the same time, he needed his campaign manager to lead his staff. "Josh, what do you think?" he asked.
Josh looked startled for a second. This was one conversation he'd never imagined, not even in his worst nightmares, he'd be having -- replacing Leo. How could anyone replace Leo? The staff were all watching him though, waiting for his insight. Lou waiting for him to agree that Baker was the only sensible choice, the others waiting for his suggestion. Their expectant looks made him angry.
"We need foreign policy experience," Lou argued again.
"Then ask Nancy McNally," Josh retorted and the others laughed.
"That's not as stupid as it sounds," Joey said.
"You're kidding?" Lou asked.
"The senate wouldn't be happy," Edie added.
The conversation on the pros and cons of Josh's suggestion continued around him and Josh wondered what the hell was happening. He hadn't been serious for God's sake. He was on the verge of telling them all to shut the hell up, that he had been being sarcastic, when Annabeth spoke up for the first time.
"Leo liked her, I think he would have approved."
"Me too," Matt agreed and turned to Josh. "I know you weren't serious, but what do you think?"
"Really? I'm not even sure she'd leave the NSC. The senate would go nuts. The Republicans would accuse us of sneaking her in through the backdoor."
"But?" Matt prompted.
"She could be good," Josh replied thoughtfully. "She's certainly always up for a fight. She brings foreign policy and military knowledge. The chiefs already know and respect her."
"The senate would never confirm her," Rhona argued.
"They wouldn't have to," Josh replied. "Technically she'd be the candidate until the electoral college is in, so the senate don't get a say. Of course, not a least consulting with the minority leader would to cause us problems for the next four years. But Tripplehorn is going to be pissed anyway that we didn't offer him the job, and he already hates me," Josh added with the smallest hint of a smile. For the first time in days he was starting to feel connected to the campaign again and it felt good.
"I'm beginning to get worried about how small the number of senators and congressmen who actually like you is," Matt smiled at Josh. "Would you talk to her?"
"Nancy?" Josh asked. "Hell, no. She scares the crap out of me. I think we should talk to someone else first."
"Tripplehorn?" Edie asked.
"President Bartlet," Matt guessed. "Okay, thanks everyone. Nothing leaves this room for now. And we'll still look into Baker and Berryhill, just in case."
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The Residence, That Evening
Jed handed Josh a drink and sat down across from him. "How you doing?"
"Okay," Josh tried but knew Jed would never believe him. "Better than yesterday."
"I think that's all any of us can hope for, that each day will be better than the last. You didn't go to Florida."
"No. I thought about it. I talked to my mom, she put me straight on a few things. And I've reached a decision. In the end it wasn't as difficult as I thought it'd be."
Jed looked hopeful, "You're going to take the job?"
"Yeah. I owe him that."
Jed wasn't sure whether Josh meant Leo or Matt, but he was sure Josh had made the right decision. "I'm glad. Leo was the rock of this administration. Now it's your turn to be the rock of Santos's."
"I don't know about that, but I'll give it my best shot."
"You'll do just fine. You didn't come here just to tell me that though. Do you have a short list?"
"Yeah, Berryhill's on there now, along with Baker."
"Berryhill would be a good choice." But Jed didn't imagine it was the prospect of Vice-President Berryhill that had helped Josh find his enthusiasm again. "There's someone else?"
"Yes. It's a ridiculous idea and I don't imagine for one minute they're going to agree or that the Senate'll be happy. But the more I think about it, the more I talk it over with the president and with Donna," Josh smiled, "it's starting to sound good. Leo would certainly have approved. But it's insane."
"Yet I've learnt that it's your insane ideas that tend to bring the best results," Jed replied. "So who is he?"
"She," Josh corrected. "Nancy McNally."
"Nancy?" Jed smiled as he considered that. "Leo would have approved. What made you think of Nancy?"
"Actually, I wasn't being serious," Josh admitted. "The staff were annoying me and I just threw her name in to shut them up for a minute. Mostly they thought I was insane, but Joey, Annabeth and the president took me seriously. So now Nancy's the front runner."
Jed smiled. This was the most animated he'd seen Josh since Leo had died. When he'd seen him at the hotel that night, Josh had looked detached from everything around him and, as far as Jed could tell, that was how he'd stayed ever since.
"What do you think?" Josh asked.
"I think she's an good choice, if a brave one," Jed smiled. "What about the senate?"
"Some of them may be a little pissed at us. But we don't need them. We should be able to get the DNC's backing and as long as we can get her to agree before the electoral college comes in and get their support, we're fine."
"Then you'd better talk to her."
"Yeah. See I was kinda hoping it'd be we," Josh asked. "You, me and Santos."
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Tuesday Morning, Situation Room
"Mr President," Nancy asked. "Do we actually have a situation?"
"We do," Jed assured her. "But we're waiting for the others, they need to have their credentials cleared to come in here. You know, on reflection, it would probably have been easier to meet in the Oval, but I like a little dramatic licence from time to time."
Nancy was confused now. "Who are we meeting?"
"President Santos and Josh Lyman."
"The president elect wants to see the situation room?"
"Something like that. Ah here they are."
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Nancy looked from Josh to the two presidents and then back at Josh again. "Are you nuts?"
"Yes," Josh agreed. "But I'm also serious."
"You know, I'm actually lost for words."
Jed smiled, "Well that's a first. It seems my role in this is over, it's up to you two to convince her now." With that Jed left the room.
Nancy shook her head. "When I got up this morning, I thought it was gonna be a quiet day. You'd think I'd know by now wouldn't you?"
"Know what?" Matt asked.
Josh explained. "That in the White House, the days you think are going to be quiet are usually the ones that change the world."
"Do you really know what he's got you into?" Nancy asked Matt.
"I'm learning fast," Matt replied. "But it does appear there were one or two things my campaign manager left out of the job description."
"Didn't want to put you off," Josh replied.
Nancy watched them. She didn't know very much about Matthew Santos but she did know Josh. "You asked Josh to be your chief of staff?" she asked Matt.
"I have and he's finally agreed," Matt smiled.
"You two know I'm a woman right? A black woman?"
"Aren't they gonna love us," Matt smiled. "An Hispanic president and a black vice-president, we're making history."
"I'll say," Nancy agreed. "We're gonna get shot."
"Does that mean you accept?" Josh asked.
"You understand that I don't know much about domestic policy?"
"That's what we have Josh for," Matt replied.
"I was wondering why that was," Nancy told him with a smile. "Who else are you talking to?"
"No one, unless you turn us down," Matt replied.
"And then?"
"Senator Baker and Berryhill."
"Berryhill would be a much more popular choice than me. He'd make the confirmation a lot easier."
"Maybe," Matt conceded. "But if we wanted easy we wouldn't have run in the first place."
"That's true," Nancy smiled. "I don't suppose I get time to think about this, talk to my husband?"
"We can wait a day or two," Matt said. "But you know it's gonna leak?"
"I'd be shocked if it didn't," Nancy replied. She was actually surprising herself by seriously considering their offer.
Part 3 -- Staffing Issues ...
