Josh was standing with most of his friends including the president inside the church. The funeral was over and now they would make their way to Arlington National Cemetery. Mallory clung tightly to Sam's arm as they made their way into the limo. Jenny climbed in behind them and that limo pulled away. C.J, Danny, Josh, Donna, the First Lady and the President climbed in. The final limo was for the President's family.
The assistants' car was brought up and the ladies piled in following closely behind the hearse.
Jed studied Josh as they drove. The younger man had remained composed throughout the service and was now sitting quietly staring at the window. His gaze shifted to Donna. He hadn't seen the two of them together, really together, since Gaza. Donna was focusing only on Josh. He felt his wife squeeze his hand and with a glance he realized that she was watching them too. Next his eyes rested on C.J and Danny. His Chief of Staff also had maintained her composure; Danny's hand was firmly holding hers and Jed noted the desperate grip she was encasing it in. These two couples, he realized, were holding each other together.
Josh's POV:
I can't believe we're going to lower Leo into the ground in a few minutes. That man meant everything to me, and right now I honestly don't know how to react. I think I feel numb. Suddenly I feel Donna's fingers slip around my hand and I glance down. We haven't spoken much, I mean we have, but we're still getting our old ways back. I meet her eyes and they're shining with love. "Donna," I whisper her name. We're in the limo with others so she doesn't respond to my question. Her eyes tell me the whole story; she won't let me go, not now.
C.J didn't know what she would do without Danny. She felt like her entire body was going to crack. She knew she seemed in control, but that was Claudia Jean Craig. No one was allowed inside, except Danny it seemed. She glanced at him for a moment and he held her gaze. She could tell he was wondering if she was alright. How do you tell someone that you're not? Her eyes did and she knew he could read them better than anyone except perhaps Leo.
"Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust."
Mallory heard the words, but her mind wouldn't let her process them. Her strong fearless father, he was being buried. It was six feet down, six feet that Mallory wondered if she could ever get out from.
Josh took her arm and she clung to him. Sam and Josh had been the sons her dad had never had and she felt in that minute like they were family. Sam was more complicated, for a brief few months she and Sam had something that she thought was the real thing. Things fell apart and she blamed herself for that. She remembered the night she told her father. She had cried her tears, but she never forgot the disappointment and regret in Leo's eyes. It was almost as if he'd known that she wouldn't move on, that she would regret losing Sam and that she would choose to marry someone who could never make her truly whole.
Josh felt Mallory struggling to stay composed and he knew Donna was crying. He was surprised she hadn't shown a tear all day, but he knew it was for his sake. He reached back and pulled her into him, she was allowed these tears. Donna had been a special favorite of Leo's and Josh knew somewhere deep down he probably considered Donna his future daughter-in-law.
Abbey Bartlet stood next to her husband. He was a quiet giant, he was always that way. She knew inevitably the tears would come and the fear of being alone would take hold. Although Abbey was the one who could always make him better, she knew that many times Leo had helped her overcome her own darkest fears. He was the final piece of their puzzle, the one that never fit, but was always necessary. Leo would be missed, but Abbey was more concerned at the moment with her husband's own health. Losing Leo had been tragic and she feared the aftermath would drive Jed to the edge of any sanity he had ever had while President of the Untied States.
Will and Kate had come in their own car and were quietly standing next to C.J and Danny. Kate was in her own private world, one where Leo was no longer there to help her gain acceptance. She could almost picture his smile at the thought.
"You're tough kid," that's what he'd say to her.
She knew she was, and she knew now somehow for sure, that Will was in her life for the long run. Over the past week he had showed her love and affection like she'd never known. Leo had walked into her life many years ago, just one night, while she was undercover, and in that moment something in her had changed. She shook the thoughts away; they were bittersweet and best saved for a rainy day when she was feeling down.
Sam stood next to Mallory and suddenly he noticed a figure standing a ways away, across the road in fact, but still in sight. He also saw a secret service agent making his way towards the figure. Sam stepped up to him, "Don't go over there please," he requested. The agent gave him a funny look.
"It's a friend of ours," Sam offered.
The agent sighed, "Toby Ziegler?"
Sam nodded, "He's not coming closer, and he has no wish to speak to any of us. But he loved Leo just as much as we did, he deserves to be here."
From a distance Toby watched Sam intercept the agent that was headed his way. His former deputy soon had the agent walking in the other direction and Sam lifted his hand in acknowledgement before turning back to Mallory. Mallory, he knew Sam had always carried a certain flame for her, and although she was the boss's daughter and there were many more following her including Ainsley Hayes, Sam was never satisfied. Perhaps that was why he never married. Toby shook those thoughts out of his head and bowed it in silent prayer.
Jed looked up and focused on a figure, he'd know it anywhere. His eyes met those of Sam who stood across and Sam gave his head one slight shake.
"Let him be," his eyes pleaded. For once the President conceded without question lowering his eyes once again to the casket.
The reverend stepped forward to Mallory and her mother who'd come up beside her. He nodded to them and Mallory, stepping away from Sam's protective arm, picked up a handful of dirt, the first that would fall on the coffin. She stood there clearly struggling with the implication of what she was about to do. This was it, Leo would be gone now. Sam watched Jenny's struggle as she watched her daughter. He decided to help her and Mallory.
He stepped up behind the woman who still held his heart, "He loved you Mal, more than words could ever say."
Mallory heard the words and knew they were true, "Sam, I don't want him to never hug me again, he was supposed to see his grandchildren," her voice broke.
"You have to let him go Mallory, he deserved it," they made a striking image. Both were in black, both regal, Sam holding her shoulders. Shaking, Mallory held her arm out and the dust landed with an empty thud.
Josh bowed his head, Leo was gone now, and he was being covered.
"I won't let your memory or legacy be buried Leo," he whispered.
Donna squeezed his arm that she'd linked earlier. "I know Josh, he does too," she responded.
"Donna," Josh didn't know what to say.
"We're going to make him prouder than he's ever been," she answered.
