Author's note: sorry it took me so long! Here is chapter two…. The first scene is from "Rubi Dubidoux and the brown bound express" I needed to use that for the story….

Thanks to those who reviewed! ENJOY!

Chapter 2:

You are so gonna need a cup for this...

OVAL OFFICE. A week before thanksgiving.

Mac was very worried, pissed off and incredibly frustrated, (as she felt most of the times she tried to reason with Nathan "Bloody hell" Templeton). The speaker was about to reveal that Vince Taylor was gay and had HIV. But now, Mac had something that would definitely teach Nathan a lesson (a video of him being a big racist jackass when he was young)… so, she said, calculating her words perfectly…

Mac- People make mistakes when their younger.

Nathan, not knowing that Mac had the video and assuming she was taking about Vince, said…

Nathan- But if they go into politics, these mistakes can come back to haunt them. You know what they say, it's a contact sport...wear a cup. I don't know...whatever you'd wear...a chest protector or whatever.

Now Mac was ready to throw at Templeton the huge "anvil" she was hiding… and she knew it would fall with all the force of the irony… Mac said with a huge satisfaction…

Mac- You may want to put on a cup for this.

Mac played the videotape with Nathan's racist comments. He became pale, and he actually looked like he was having an stroke when he sit in the couch and yelled with his teeth clinched…

Nathan- ENOUGH! ENOUGH!

Mac, taking pity of him, turned the tape off. Nathan just looked defeated and said…

Nathan- If it was your intention to humiliate me...you have succeeded.

But Mac didn't buy that "innocent victim" act. Nathan was NO deer lost in the woods… he was ready to use a poor man's secret to destroy her… so, if Mac was humiliating him, he totally deserved it. She wasn't going to feel guilty for the hard time he was having… But she explained, honestly…

Mac- I don't believe that tape represents who you are today.

Nathan was outraged by the implication that he was ever a racist… he started making excuses for his actions…

Nathan- It doesn't represent who I ever was. I was a young Southern Democrat saying anything I had to say to get elected. I think that my voting records since those days speaks for itself, but if that were to get out, it would represent who I am. It would BE who I am. But you know that.
Mac- I doesn't have to, you know.

Nathan got what she meant, and said…

Nathan- Nor does the information about your Special Assistant. In the old days, we used to call this mutual assured destruction.
Mac- If memory serves, you were a big proponent of that policy.

More irony anvils falling all over Templeton. Mac was beginning to enjoy the conversation…

Nathan- MacNamara's policy as it was. You know, this tape, could cause a hell of a lot more damage to me than the staffing scandal could cast on you. Why hold it back?

Nathan was right about something… That video was terrible for him… it would expose him to the kind of scandal from which people in politics never recover. "I'm holding it back because I actually have feelings, Nathan, something you seem to know nothing about. And even when destroying people is your favorite hobby… I don't enjoy doing that so much", Mac thought that, but she chose a more diplomatic answer…

Mac- Maybe I think the Country doesn't need another scandal right now.

That was also true. But Nathan wasn't buying it.

Nathan- Maybe you want to have something to hold over my head.

Mac thought: "Typical. Just because HE is a bastard, he thinks we all are". But, putting aside her feelings for Nathan, she really wanted to stop that pointless war between them. There was no reason for them to be enemies… She said…

Mac- Mr. Speaker, after all that we've been through now, I was hoping we could put aside some of our differences, become friends.

Nathan was shocked. And then he said the smartest and more honest thing Mac had heard him say in months…

Nathan- This is Washington D.C. Madame President. There are no friends here. There are only enemies and allies.

Mac thought about that for a few seconds. Obviously Nathan wanted to be one of those enemies. He started to leave, and then, tried to save what was left of his ego, he said…

Nathan- This will not put me in your pocket, but it will put me in your debt.

Mac actually thought she really had Nathan in her pocket. After all, he obviously would do anything to protect his secret. But she wasn't planning to use that power. It would be cheap… wouldn't it? She decided to follow his game, just for fun, and bluffed…

Mac- I'll call it in sometime.
Nathan- I don't doubt it.

Thanksgiving day. White House's residence.

Mac couldn't take that conversation with Nathan and the video off her head. She had made the decision to do the right thing and give Nathan the video… She told Rod that and she looked at him as she was crazy…

Rod- you are going to do what!

Mac- I'm giving him the tape, Rod. Look… IF I decided to run for the reelection I'd be running against him… and I don't want to beat him just because he was an idiot who tried to impress a bunch of voters saying something stupid that he doesn't even believe… I want to kick his us because I'm a lot better that him…

Rod shook his head. Just giving him the video was a huge mistake that would surely come back to bite the entire administration on the ass…

Rod- you are going to regret it…

Mac was shocked….

Mac- are you actually encouraging me not to be the bigger person?

Rod shook his head and explained, defensibly…

Rod- no! It's just… it really bothers me… you know? He is going to get exactly what he wants. You are going to do him a BIG favor, Mac… and what has he ever done for you? He doesn't deserve getting away with all this…

Mac knew her husband was totally right. Nathan didn't deserve the favor he was about to receive from her.

Mac- I guess you are right about that…

Rod- you bet I'm right! Honey, if he had a damaging video about you, he would use it without thinking it twice… The only doubt in his mind would be: "Do I leak it to the morning news or to the night news?"

Once again, Rod was right… and Mac couldn't respond. Rod continued his point…

Rod- now, I think Nathan didn't leak the letter… but I think that was just because he wasn't the one who found it… If he had found the letter, he wouldn't have just leaked it… He would have written the dam book himself!

Suddenly an idea hit Mac. Yes, she would give back that video… but maybe she could get something in return. And she knew exactly what… She was thrilled with her idea: She would get something she needed and it wouldn't destroy Nathan at all… so it wouldn't make her feel guilty because she wasn't hurting anyone… her plan only involved doing Nathan a favor in return of some information she needed.

Later that day…

Mac had a lot of things to take care off that Thanksgiving day. Right before the dinner her mother had been planning, she was on the phone with the Governor of Texas.

Mac- You've made you feeling quite clear. I've taken note of your position, but it doesn't change mine. Tomorrow you will receive my Executive Order commuting Ms. Bodem's sentence to life in prison. I'd like to wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving. Good night.

She hung up and turns around, her heart almost stopping when she saw Rod listening to her, and not looking very happy…

Rod: Called the Governor?
Mac- I had to pardon the National turkey in the Rose Garden this week. It gets to live it's life out on a farm somewhere. Does Linda Bodem deserve any less compassion than a turkey?

Rod could understand that after saying "By the power vested in me by the Constitution of the United States, I hereby pardon you." to a turkey… well, no one could feel like letting a human lady die. He just accepted Mac's decision and said…

Rod- Well, If your gonna go down honey, at least your gonna go down fighting. Now, come on, the Templetons had just arrived…

Mac- ok…

Mac and Rod linked arms and started heading towards the residence entry to greet Nathan and Sarah Templeton. In the way, Rod asked…

Rod- just out of curiosity… What do the others think about you pardoning Linda?

Mac- well… Jim agrees with me because he thinks they shouldn't have given death penalty to a woman with mental problems in the first place…

Rod nodded… that was true.

Rod- and the other two?

Mac- you mean Scully and Mulder? They think it was the right thing, but they are concerned because it might cost me several votes…

Rod laughed at the nickname Mac had given to the new potential couple in the Allen administration. It suited them perfectly…

Rod- well… Kelly and Dickie are very smart…

They got to the residence entry and greeted The Speaker and his wife…

Mac- Happy Thanksgiving.
Nathan- Happy Thanksgiving.

Rod smiled weakly and said politely…

Rod- Welcome Nathan.
Sarah- I'm Sorry we're a little late.
Mac- Oh, no you are just in time… Mr. Speaker… could I talk to you privately…

Nathan nodded, truly intrigued and surprised, and he and Mac headed to a different room while Rod escorted Sarah to the dinner room. Nathan and Mac were alone when he said..

Nathan- I watched your Press Conference.
Mac- You were right. It was the only decision possible.

They were talking about the Exess Base and Mac had to admit that Nathan was right about that. He seemed impressed…

Nathan- You continue to amaze me.

That was her cue…. She could give him the other surprise she had for him.

Mac- hmm, I have something for you. You can consider it an early Christmas gift…

She handed him a gift-wrapped box and Nathan seemed ashamed…

Nathan: We didn't bring an…. I didn't bring anything.

That couldn't matter less to Mac. She explained…

Mac: I'm giving you the original film and the tape.

Nathan was shocked. He looked at Mac curiously…

Nathan- who do I have to kill?

Mac laughed. It was incredibly fun doing this…

Mac- this isn't blackmail, Nathan… however… as someone told me once "help breeds help"…

Nathan nodded, recognizing his own words, impressed because he realized Mac was about to ask him something in exchange for the tape… Mac continued talking and went to the point…

Mac- Nathan… I'll give you this tape and no one will ever know ANYTHING about it, that's a big favor I'm doing to you, so… as a thank you… I want you to tell me who gave my resignation letter to Evan Hutchings…

Nathan was surprised, and a little relieved, she could have ask him something a lot worse. But he decided to play with her a little more…

Nathan- What makes you think I know who did that?

Mac shot him a killer look that clearly meant: "do you think I'm stupid?" while saying…

Mac- Nathan… you know…

Nathan laughed… he had to surrender and admit the truth…

Nathan- ok… I admit it… I know who betrayed you…

Mac- and who was it?

Nathan didn't want to spoil the drama so soon… so he looked at her, clearly enjoying knowing something that Mac didn't.

Nathan- why are you so sure I wasn't the one who leaked that letter?

Mac didn't have more patience for games.

Mac- because you have a very bad poker face, Nate! Now, just tell me who was it… and we'll all forget about the video…

Mac was getting nervous and Nathan was so enjoying that… He knew Mac will feel like a complete idiot when she finds out the truth. Video or no video… Nathan now just wanted to tell her only because she would be crush. But he played a little bit more…

Nathan- so… let me see if a got this… if I don't tell you, you will show the world this video… and what if I lie to you? I could do that… you know?

Mac suddenly took the video from his hands.

Mac- oh… I do know that… look, Nathan… if you don't want to tell me what I asked you… nothing will happen, I won't show the tape… but I won't give it to you either… I'll just keep it to "hold it over your head" and you'll spend your entire presidential campaign wondering: "Will this be the day when she makes it public?"

The idea of Mackenzie Allen having something that could use against him whenever she wanted didn't appeal Nathan at all… He had to have that video and destroy it…

Nathan- Ok… I'll tell you who was it…. as a thank you for giving me that tape…

Mac- ok…

Mac was about to hand him the tape… then she took it back and said…

Mac- oh… and if you tell me a lie… all of this goes public… because even without the video, there are six different people who saw it and wouldn't have any problem describing it with plenty of details to the press… I know the story wouldn't be as credibly, but in this town just a mere gossip can become a huge scandal…

Nathan nodded. He had no intention of telling a lie…

Nathan- don't worry about it… I want to tell you the truth… it will hurt you so much more…

Mac wasn't worried… she could take it. She gave Nathan the tape asking seriously…

Mac- Nate, Who sent my resignation letter to Evan Hutchings?

Nathan grinned. This was going to be fun…

Nathan- you are so gonna need a cup for this, girl…

After a dramatic pause, Nathan said…

Nathan- It was Jim Gardner…

TO BE CONTINUED…..

Ok…. everybody saw that one coming… right? Now… how will Mac react? Please…. review! the next chapter will be the last one!