Author's Note: Again, thank you for the reviews. I am glad you are enjoying the story.

"Three Musketeers"

"Sam?" Josh said walking up behind the man standing at the door to the White House.

"Josh," Sam said happily.

The two shared a quick hug between old friends. It had been ages since they'd seen each other. Sam was busy climbing the ladder of politics in California and Josh was busy trying to get Matt Santos elected leader of the free world.

"How long as it been?" Sam asked after the two parted.

"July?" Josh asked trying to remember.

"No, I was in the Bahamas for a few weeks in July," Sam said. "April?"

"No, I was on the East coast from March to May," Josh said.

"Well whenever it was it was too long ago," Sam smiled.

"Yeah," Josh agreed.

The two men went about the business of gaining entrance to the White House and once they entered they renewed their conversation.

"So, how are you holding up?" Sam asked as they walked.

"I'm okay," Josh said. "It was a shock, but I'm getting through it."

Josh's reply left Sam unconvinced. He was one of those who'd been at Roslyn and seen the aftermath of the weeks following. He knew when Josh was suppressing something although he seemed more put together than Sam had thought possible. He wondered if he had been talking to Stanley recently.

"I couldn't believe it either," Sam said. "When you called me it was the last thing I expected. I guess I always assumed that if there was going to be bad news it'd be…"

He trailed off realizing the thought he's just started to formulate and didn't wish to continue. Luckily he was speaking to Josh and they had a shorthand between them.

"I know," Josh said releasing Sam from the obligation of finishing his thought. "I thought it would be him before Leo too."

"He looks good," Sam said. "I only talked to him for a minute, but he seemed okay."

"CJ says he uses the cane occasionally and tries his best to hide it when he's having trouble, but for the most part he's hanging in there."

"The stress can't be good for him."

"No, but he's the President. It comes with the territory," Josh replied.

The two men made their way through the hallways of the West Wing and Josh felt for a moment like he'd never really left. Walking through the hallway having a pedeconference with Sam just seemed familiar and right. He'd forgotten how much he missed it. Sam turned to go to the residence, but Josh turned in the opposite direction.

"Detour?" Sam asked.

"I told CJ I'd stop by on my way to the residence," Josh said. "You wanna come?"

"Sure," Sam shrugged and followed Josh.

They made their way to CJ's office, and not seeing Margaret, knocked quickly before opening the door. They found CJ seated at the desk reading some papers.

"CJ?" Josh said.

"Hey," she said absently while she finished reading the page before she set it aside.

"Hi," she said again looking up to greet them. She stood up immediately and pulled both Josh and Sam into a hug.

"Hi," Sam said trying not to be crushed.

"You know we just saw you like four hours ago," Josh pointed out while she embraced them.

"I know," CJ replied finally letting go.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine," CJ said. "Can't I be happy to see you? My Spin Boys together again."

"Well, minus one," Sam replied. "It's kind of like The Supremes reuniting without Diana Ross."

"Toby was not Diana Ross," Josh said hastily taking a seat. "It's more like Van Halen reuniting without David Lee Roth. He was a part of the band, but it went on without him."

"Van Halen?" CJ said. "You really want to stick with that reference?"

"You got something better?" Josh shot back good-naturedly.

"How about we're like the Three Musketeers without Artemis," CJ suggested.

"Are you including D'artagnan?" Sam asked, "because technically we're four including Toby."

"He's Porthos if anything," Josh mumbled as if he wasn't wowed by her suggestion.

Sam took a seat and continued to ponder the conversation.

"So if we're like Van Halen do we have a Sammy Hagar?" Sam inquired.

"Will?" CJ asked.

The three exchanged a look and laughed at the thought of it all. After a moment of light laughing and chatter CJ decided to ask Josh how things went after the funeral.

"So did you talk to him?" CJ asked Josh. She took a seat in the empty chair.

"Yeah," Josh said looking at his hand. "I don't know if he's coming."

"Okay," CJ nodded. "The president was hoping he'd be here. Did he give a reason?"

"Just for clarification are we talking about Toby?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Josh said.

"The president pardoned him," CJ informed Sam.

"That's great news," Sam said surprised by that information. He had heard that President Bartlet was so angry with Toby that insiders, mainly CJ, thought it would be years before he'd speak to him again.

"Too bad Toby sees it as pity, a slap in the face and a reason for him to turn all his contempt on the president," Josh said. "Well, you know, except the anger he still harbors towards me."

"What happened?" CJ asked. "I thought you two were talking."

"Yeah, me too," Josh said.

"So how long ago did this happen? The press hasn't said anything about the pardon," Sam said.

"The day after we found out about Leo the president called me in to tell me about the wake," CJ explained. "He mentioned it, handed me a folder and told me to take it to the Counsel's Office. He said Toby needed to be here and this was the only way."

"So he didn't really forgive him then," Sam pointed out.

"The president wanted him here tonight. I think Toby should take the pardon over forgiveness right now. If he doesn't show up I don't know what the president is going to do," CJ replied.

"Well he can't rescind the pardon," Josh said.

"Technically it's not public knowledge yet. Toby didn't come to the service today," CJ pointed out.

"They'd figure it out," Sam insisted. "There's a paper trail already. It wouldn't look good if he took it back, not that I think he can legally."

"I didn't say he would or could take back the pardon back, but I don't think he cares at this point," CJ said. "Taking the pardon back might be the first thought he has if Toby doesn't show up tonight. You guys haven't been here. He reached out to Toby and if he doesn't come…"

"Do you want to see him?" Josh asked her suddenly. "You two haven't spoken in months."

"I don't know," CJ shrugged.

"So how is it going to go if he does show up?" Josh put her on the spot.

"I really don't know," CJ said. "I haven't thought about it."

That was a lie. Ever since President Bartlet handed her the folder with the paper pardoning Toby she had thought about how their first face-to-face meeting would go. She was still angry with him. His actions had put so many things in jeopardy, not the least of which was her reputation, but now, with circumstances being what as it were, part of her just wanted to embrace him and put everything in the past.

"Well he's still the angry son of bitch he always was. Don't think that the prospect of jail time has changed him," Josh said.

"What did he say to you?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," Josh evaded as he walked over to CJ's desk.

"You didn't get into another fight did you?" CJ asked.

"Like a fist fight?" Sam asked baffled.

"It's happened before," CJ informed Sam.

"When?" Sam asked incredulous. The thought of Josh and Toby hitting each other like schoolboys was something Sam couldn't picture. He knew they both had hot tempers, but he would have never thought that they'd actually come to blows.

"Toby was angry when Josh went to work for Santos," CJ said quietly keeping her eyes on Josh. He seemed unusually enamored with her paperweight.

"Toby's brother had just died and Josh stopped by the White House and things got heated," CJ continued.

"You mean Toby's over-inflated ego was hurt," Josh piped up. "What did he tell you about that fight anyway?"

"He didn't," CJ said. "He never said much of anything about it."

"Here's what happened, Sam," Josh said turning to him and starting to explain his side of the story. "I came here and I found out that Toby was leaking information to Rafferty in an effort to sabotage Santos."

"I don't think that was his intent," CJ interjected.

"You know it was," he said directly to CJ. "He was pissed at me for leaving, but it wasn't because I was gone, it was because I didn't bring him with me. He was jealous that I found my own thing."

"Did you ever stop to consider that maybe he missed you?" CJ asked standing. "Maybe he was hurt that you left and he was trying to get used to it? You saw him when Sam left. He doesn't deal well with change. You were one of his closest friends Josh and you just left us here with no warning."

"Us?" Josh asked. "You pissed at me too?"

"I was," CJ admitted. "I got over it. You found your own thing and there's nothing wrong with that, but Toby felt betrayed by you. You know how he is with the president. He felt like you betrayed them both. Instead of sticking by him you turned your back for the next big thing."

"What was I supposed to do?" Josh practically shouted. "Don't tell me you'd have stayed here if you didn't get Leo's job."

"I would have stayed," CJ replied honestly. "The thought of leaving to staff another candidate never occurred to me, but I was never really a political operative like you and Toby. Staff at the White House changes, I get it, but Toby felt like you abandoned him. He took it personally."

"Yeah and he hasn't let me forget it," Josh scoffed.

"What did he say to you today?" Sam asked. He could tell that Toby had gotten under Josh's skin about something.

"Nothing," Josh replied.

"What did he say?" Sam pressed.

"He said it was over for Santos," Josh said. "He said Leo was the only reason he was going to win."

Sam and CJ exchanged a glance and fell silent. They both knew that Toby had a point. Leo added credibility and expertise to the ticket. It was still possible for Santos to win, but without Leo it would be difficult, especially so close to the election. There was no precedent for a vice presidential candidate dying before the election and it was anyone's guess as to whether voters would vote sympathetically for Santos or if they'd see the weakness of Democrats and vote Republican.

Josh pondered the silence for a moment and could tell that they agreed with Toby. "You agree with him. You both agree with him," Josh said incredulously.

"I don't really agree," Sam said. "There's no precedent for this."

"It could go either way," CJ offered.

"What do you really think?" Josh asked seriously.

CJ and Sam exchanged a look and mentally debated who would speak first. CJ decided that since Josh was already slightly irritated with her she might as well bear the burden.

"I think it's going to be hard for Santos to win now," CJ said. "Leo added a lot to the ticket. He was a war veteran and he had a lot more experience than Santos. Sometimes people vote on who the candidate surrounds themselves with rather than the candidate himself."

"And you?" Josh asked Sam.

"It's gonna be difficult," Sam conceded. "But it's not impossible. Look at me. I won and Toby told me a week before the election that it was over. You can't predict these things."

"I feel like a traitor even thinking about it," Josh admitted. "Leo gave me everything and the day of his funeral I'm sitting here wondering how I'm gonna pull a rabbit out of my hat in an election."

"Leo would have told you to push forward," CJ offered.

"Yeah," Josh replied unconvinced.

"You'll get through it," Sam said standing. "You're not a traitor and if you need me to call you everyday for the next week and tell you that I will."

"Me too," CJ interjected. "You're not a traitor."

"I have Lou working on all these things that she doesn't want to deal with because I can't get it together."

"That's why you have a staff," CJ pointed out.

"But it's my job. I left the best job I'll probably ever have to work on this campaign and now it's slipping through my fingers. I can feel it."

"It's not," Sam offered. "It only feels that way because things are so hectic right now."

"I wish Leo were here to tell me what to do," Josh sighed.

CJ thought about Josh's statement and she realized that she felt exactly the same. She wished she had Leo here to tell her how the hell to get China and Kazakhstan to put their differences aside. She wished he was there to talk her through her next meeting with the ambassador to Iran.

"Me too," CJ sighed.

After a moment she walked over to Josh and made sure she got his attention. "The bottom line is that Leo would tell you to go for it," she said. "He'd tell you to suck it up and do what you have to do to get Santos elected. He didn't jump on the ticket as a favor to you Josh. You don't agree to run for vice president unless you really want it. He really wanted it."

Sam walked closer and bridged the gap between the three old friends. "I agree," he said. "He'd tell you that he lived his life and it's time for you to go live yours."

"He would, wouldn't he?" Josh asked knowing that if Leo were here it's exactly what he'd say.

"He would," Sam affirmed.

CJ nodded in response as well.

"This is what I needed," Josh said.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"People who actually knew Leo," Josh replied. "You two know what he would say and how he would say it. I really need that right now."

"Me too," CJ agreed again.

"Are we good?" Josh asked CJ.

"We're great," she smiled. "I still love you mi amour."

"You really enjoy saying that lately," Josh pointed out.

"Better late than never," she replied.

"Makes me think you might be kind of hot for me or something," Josh baited her.

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes and walked behind her desk to straighten up a few papers.

"You know Josh, word on the street is she's great in bed," Sam said with a smirk.

"Yeah I think I heard that somewhere too," Josh teased her.

"Remind me why I love you two again?" CJ asked.

"Our rapier wit?" Sam suggested.

"Our roughish good looks?" Josh said.

"Our stunning physical prowess?"

"The size of our enormous…intellect?" Josh offered with a grin.

"Just so you know mine is at least seven or eight…points higher than Josh. My IQ of course," Sam said with a gleam in his eye.

"Okay, thank you Abbott and Costello," CJ said smiling. "We have to end this conversation before it takes a very bad turn. We should get to the residence."

"Yes we should," Josh said turning.

The three exited the office that Leo used to inhabit and suddenly things didn't seem so dire and depressing. Maybe President Bartlet was right; a wake, with close friends and those considered family, was exactly what they all needed. Leo brought them together once and even in death he was still there pulling them together again.

TBC