Title: The Path Which Has Led to the Present (31/35?)
Author: Aerial312
Rating: PG-13.
Category: Humor/Fluff/Angst/Romance (a little of everything)
Spoiler Info: Pre-Series.
Disclaimer: I own nothing…I just borrow.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated. Sure. Just let me know where its going.

A/N:

Breathless, Josh rapped on the door to Leo's hotel suite. He had jogged the whole 10 blocks from the debate site.

"There's a buzzer!" Leo bellowed from inside.

Josh banged on the door again. "Open up!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Leo flung open the door. "Josh."

Josh strode into the room, and looked around. The room was a mess. On the coffee table, were ashtrays with partially smoked cigars, empty glasses, and an empty bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue. Strewn about were the nips from the mini bar, whiskey and scotch mostly.

"Jesus…" Josh rubbed his eyes.

"Josh—"

"What the hell happened, Leo?"

"Josh, I—"

"You were supposed to be at the debate site two hours ago! The Governor collapsed, everything's a mess…you're a mess…" Josh looked sadly at his mentor, his anger abating.

"I slipped, Josh. I slipped…"

"How?" Josh asked quietly.

"These guys, the CEOs…they brought our that bottle…I said no…I did…but its 50 year old Scotch, Josh! So—"

"You had some."

"More than some. I—"

"You drank everything in the room, Leo—"

"I---How's Jed?"

"I don't know yet. Donna's gonna call me."

"He just fell?"

"Got dizzy, and fell, right as we were going on about the Social Security answer. It was really bizarre."

"Abbey there?"

"Yeah."

"We gotta get down there."

"Leo."

"What?"

"You can't go like this."

"I'm fine—no…no I'm not."

"You need to clean up and rest it off a bit. Have some coffee. There's nothing we can do right now anyways."

"I'd like it if the others d—"

"I don't intend to tell anyone."

"Don't lie about it though."

"Not my story to tell."

"Don't lie, Josh."

"I'm gonna need a reason you don't come back with me—"

"I'm a little under the weather, which is true…I've got a bad headache, which is true. Just don't make something completely up."

"That's the story then."

"I'll be okay by the debate."

Josh nodded. "If there is a debate."

"Jed'll rally."

"I hope you're right. Go get cleaned up, I'll clean up out here."

Leo turned and walked toward the bathroom, still a little unsteady on his feet. Josh grabbed the trashcan and began picking up bottles. His cell phone rang.

"Yeah?"

"Hey."

"What do we know?"

"Ear infection."

"How is he?"

"Dr. Bartlett took him down to the couch of the theatre's green room. He's to take a nap for an hour, and she'll check him over again."

"Did she indica—"

"She thinks he'll be fine…"

"But?"

"But, she's reserving the right to say no."

"Okay…okay…how much longer is he asleep?"

"Half hour, or so."

Josh took a deep breath. "What're the others doing?"

"Pacing, mostly."

"We reworking any answers?"

"No. Toby said we're stuck until the Governor wakes up."

"Okay, okay. I'll be back in like 20 minutes."

"How's Leo?"

"He, uh…the situation—"

"Everyone's wondering where he is."

"Tell them…that the meetings…that's Leo's a little sick too…that the nonstop meetings were a little rough on him and he's got a killer headache."

"Is that the truth?—"

"I told him to rest, and to join us just before—"

"Is he okay?"

"Just a little under the weather."

"Should I send Margaret over?"

"No."

"Josh—are things really okay?"

"Donna---I can't get into details!"

"But—"

"Tell them what I told you to—"

"Josh…"

"Just do it! Stop asking questions!"

"Okay…" She was getting choked up, and he felt bad, but she'd never stop asking questions otherwise.

"I'll be back before the Governor's up." He clicked off the phone, and returned to cleaning up. When that was done, Josh opened the mini bar, checking to see I there was anything left that should be taken away. There was nothing left to confiscate.

"Leo! I'm leaving now! I'll come back for you at 7."

"Do we know what's wrong with him?" Leo asked, re-entering the room in a new suit.

"Donna said ear infection. Abbey's got him napping. He's getting another check up in half an hour."

Leo nodded. "I'm gonna call for some coffee, sit in this chair, and do the crossword puzzle."

"Do you need anything else?"

"Nope. Even though I'm feelin' much better now, I'm still in no condition to go down there. I trust your judgement."

Josh nodded. "Okay. I'll call you as soon as we have a decision." He turned, and trotted out of the room

Donna was waiting outside the theatre when Josh returned a few minutes later.

"How come you're not in there?"

"Its freezing."

"You've still got my sweater on."

"I'm thawing."

"You're supposed to be inside. My source of info."

"Dr. Bartlet declared that she wasn't going to wake him up for another half hour."

"Like in addition to the time that already existed?"

"Yeah, she said 5:30. And death to anyone who tried to persuade her to cave."

"Death?"

"That was the sentiment."

"Where are the others?"

"Toby is growling over the very beginnings of his speeches for election day—"

"Good, good to start that now. Multiple options?"

"I think so…a win speech and a lose speech."

"Good."

"CJ and Sam are playing Monopoly on Sam's laptop."

"Are all the details hammered out with Evelyn Clark?"

"We did most of that earlier. CJ touched base with her, and all seemed well…there's really nothing else she can do until we have the Governor. Then they'll need to set sound levels and such."

"Has Maguire's team been around yet?"

Donna shook her head. "No one. They're driving in at the last minute—"

"Trying to prove that they can pack more into one day than we can."

"Right."

"At least no one was here to witness that. That would have been really bad."

Donna nodded.

Josh sat on the curb beside her. "When we go back to the hotel after this, I'm going to need you to pick out a suit for me. I have some stuff to take care of, and I might be running late."

"No dinner?"

"No time."

"You need to eat something."

Josh fished in his pocket for his wallet and tossed a $10 at Donna. "Grab something. For both of us. Something I can eat in my suit and not make a mess."

Donna nodded. "Anything else?"

"That's it for now."

"Are you in charge tonight?"

"For now I am."

"Is Leo going to be back for the debate?"

"Should be."

"What happened at his meeting?"

"Donna! I've already told you, that I'm not getting into details—"

"I'm just concern—"

"It was smoky…they big shots had cigars, after a while it gave him bad headache. He knows we're kind of at a standstill."

"But we're in crisis mode."

"I wouldn't call sitting on the curb outside the building crisis mode."

"Josh—"

Donna was cut off by Abbey coming out of the building. They jumped to their feet.

"Jed's awake and he's feeling much better. I think he'll be fine to continue tonight. He wanted to see you if I couldn't find Leo, and I can't find Leo."

"I'll go see him ma'am."

"Donna, dear, could you go to the vending machine and grab some peanut butter crackers or something similar? I want him to have a snack before his sound check."

Donna nodded, and headed back into the building.

"Where is Leo?"

"Resting in his hotel room."

"Why?"

"He's a little under the weather after his meetings."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, its just a headache, he'll feel better after his nap."

"Should I be worried.?"

Josh looked at her. "No, its under control."

"Okay, then. My husband's in the green room."

Josh trotted through the auditorium to the backstage area. He entered the green room, which was not green, and found the Governor sitting on the couch.

"Hello, sir."

"Josh."

"You gave us quite a scare there."

"Just a little off balance. I'll be fine. I'm wipe the floor with Maguire tonight."

"That's the spirit."

"Josh, where's Leo?"

Josh took a deep breath. "He's back in his hotel room, resting, he's got a headache after those horrible donor meetings. We got the money though."

"A headache?"

"Yes, sir."

"Has…is…?"

"Sir, I think that's a conversation for you to have with Leo. He'll be back this evening, sir."

Bartlet looked Josh in the eye and nodded.

"Good. Now what do I need to do?"

"First, your wife is going to make you eat a snack. Then we're going to go through the sound check, and the rest of your orientation to the space."

There was a knock on the open door, and Donna came in, bearing a package of peanut butter crackers.

"Sir, this is from your wife."

"Thank you, Donna."

"Anything else, Josh?" Bartlet asked.

"Sir, I would like to go over your social security answer again, once you've gotten your bearings in this space."

"You want me to go back to my old answer."

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Let me think about it. I'll be out in a minute."

"Thank you, sir." Josh stood, and led Donna out of the room with a hand on the small of her back.

"He seems much better. Looks like everything's going to be fine after all."

Josh nodded. He could only hope that everything ended up all right.