It was ice cold outside, the day had begun with frost instead of morning dew and dark patches of ice hiding in the black spots of the road as hidden dangers for drivers. The weather had the workers divided, there were those who were so aggrieved by the cold that they showed relief to be at work in the warmth of their offices and there were those who were so angered by the chill that they complained non-stop about it and were annoyed that they had to surrender the heat of their homes to come to work.

Josh joked it was the blue collar versus white collar worker, a joke that gone done like a lead balloon. Donna had fiercely informed him that she was one of those with a poor heating system at home and Toby had berated him for implying there was a class divide at work.

It had been a couple of months now since the Texas debacle. Debacle was perhaps a strong word but since it was Toby's word, Josh liked to use it with a smile anytime someone mentioned Cadence or the Vice President in his presence.

Josh hadn't seen Cadence since Texas but he could see the evidence of her success with Hoynes in the press and was kept up to date on her work affairs via the gossip mill of Donna, Ginger, Bonnie and Margaret. The last tale he had heard was about how she had a framed photograph of a raccoon local to her neighbourhood on her desk instead of something a little more endearing like a dog or cat. Apparently, it appeared to be taken at night in an alleyway with a flash that had the animal looking a touch rabid. Sam had scoffed at the tale until Josh had laughed and told him about Cadence bonding with a raccoon on the Hoynes' campaign.

Seated at his desk, Josh picked up one of the many daily newspapers he had gathered on his desk. He was conflicted at seeing John Hoynes' bright, grinning face staring back from one and frowned as he read the caption to go with it- Vice President Casts Important Tie-Break Vote in Senate. He rolled his eyes at the heading and knew which plucky PR employee had suggested the word 'important', undoubtedly the same employee who seen this story highlighted as more than it was.

Cadence was good at her job and it sickened Josh.

The VP post was largely viewed as the figurehead or the crowd pleaser, the one who did the promotions but had none of the power. Sure history had tried to change it and improve it but the VP was always going to be number two unless disaster struck. It was why John Hoynes had been reluctant to take the post but he was evidently determined to make the most of it anyway.

Vice President John Hoynes wasn't a celebrity golfer or baby kisser, he was a man of the people, one who had the time for them and one who charmed them and visited them. Worse, as today's heading showed, he was using what power he had and wielding it in a serious manner to make an impact.

The senate had been tied over whether the state should consider expanding funding to support the medical care for wounded soldiers. John had swung the vote in favour of expansion, agreeing that the arguments that existing funding from independent private sources was helpful but concluding that since it was the state who sent the men to war then it was the state who should offer valid funding for those returning wounded from it.

Josh didn't even know why he was annoyed. John was just fulfilling the role of the Vice President by solving a tie at Senate and he had moved the vote the way the President had wanted. Getting publicity for it might venture on tacky but it wasn't like he was using it to undermine the President. In fact that was the worst of it, his language when queried about his decision had mentioned how it was 'for the office of the President' and a 'decision of the White House'. John might write his own speeches but Josh just knew Cadence had probably worked with speech writers Gavin and Cal on the language in terms of promoting good public relations between the Vice President and the President. Well most probably Gavin since by all accounts Cal still despised her. It had to have been her, no one on Hoynes' team had ever been so keen on promoting a public presentation of a harmonious relationship between the Vice and his President until now. Cadence was sneaky about it, unity was equality and that, as far as Josh was concerned, could be a dangerous thing.

Josh wondered if it was John he was annoyed at or Cadence or both. Deciding that it wasn't worth his attention or energy as business with cartels in South America was looking like it might be a pressing issue this week, he discarded the paper to his desk.

At exactly twenty minutes past nine as C.J headed to her office from her latest briefing with the press she was followed by the keen Danny Concannon. Truthfully C.J was happy to be followed by Danny though she kept her face stern. It had been a while since their last flirtation, the Texas business had kept her busy, questions about the relationship between Hoynes and the President had been thick and fast after Senator Whyte's poisonous handshake. Everyone was prying and theorising about what it all meant.

The story had died just last week but as it had been displaced by rumours of cartel movement in South America and the suggestion that the USA had more of an involvement in Colombia that was perhaps prudent, C.J couldn't exactly be happy about it. She was trying to get to the bottom of it all- the DEA's goings on and the CIA, and the rumours of terrorists and drug dealers and illegal contraband coming over the border but no one was willing to speak much about it. Leo had told her not to worry but she knew that was just a temporary measure. Leo's smile hadn't met his eyes and C.J knew that was a bad sign.

John's swing vote with the senate yesterday had dispelled the last of the rumours that that President wasn't happy with the outcome in Texas because it had been more favourable to his Vice than to him. All John's speeches about solving the senate manner for his President had sent a positive message of peace and unity in the White House. C.J just considered it a blessing that the Oval Office wasn't bugged and the President wasn't so foolish as to have his colourful outburst about 'John's blowhard kiss ass display' anywhere with mistrustful ears nearby.

C.J stepped into her office and gave Danny room to follow before she turned to face him swiftly as she leaned back on her desk to show that she was unfazed by his presence.

"Danny how can I help you this morning?" she queried.

She took in his flattering attire. Danny was wearing a smart dark brown suit with a woollen jacket over it. He looked stylish and the maroon shirt poking out from underneath was flattering to his fair skin and golden auburn hair. C.J noticed this but she would never give him the satisfaction of hearing her say it.

Danny fixed a disarming smile on the taller woman as he shut the office door behind him. "Cadence McGarry," Danny was straight to the point. He knew his bluntness would cost him points even though the irony was he was doing it to be nice. He glimpsed past C.J to the goldfish bowl on her desk and his smile widened slightly. There was an ornamental pumpkin in keeping the goldfish Gail company.

"She's becoming noticeable on the Vice President's team," Danny mused lightly.

C.J rolled her eyes to the ceiling before she could help it. "Really Danny, are you writing fluff pieces on staff now? The nuclear waste exposure in Ohio not interesting enough for you?" she quipped sardonically, referring to a piece mentioned this morning.

Danny gave a soft laugh at this. "C.J I come in peace," he insisted. "It's not me doing the writing this time. I'm the senior White House correspondent, the Eisenhower team doesn't interest me," he pointed out. "Cadence has her points of interest for the gossip quarters, you can't deny that C.J. She is the Chief of Staff's daughter and I've heard she was on the Hoynes' campaign initially but then she wrote an unflattering thesis about the Electoral College-"

C.J held up the palm of her right hand. "I'm going to stop you there Danny, that isn't a secret," she informed him flatly.

"I know," he said calmly. "There's been sources C.J," he said bluntly, "who say the problems didn't start or end there. She was gone for two years-"

"She took a break Danny, that's not your business," C.J scorned him. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped away from her desk and folded her arms. "I'm a little disappointed you're doing this."

Danny shook his head and continued to smile. "C.J," he addressed her quietly in a friendly manner, "it's not my style to write personal pieces. I'm being sincere when I say I'm not the author and I'm trying to do a favour here coming to you with this. There's going to be a story," he got to the point, "questioning her mental stability and ability to carry out her role in Hoynes' team and there's going to be a suggestion that she only got her job through Leo."

Danny held up a hand before C.J could interrupt him. "I know C.J, it is fluff," he kept his smile in an attempt to keep the woman at ease, "but there's a possibility there's more to it. If it was just the obvious digs of nepotism and misadventure in her youth I wouldn't have even come to you with it. I think someone is unhappy with her success and is trying to find a way to oust her."

"You think?" C.J snapped at him with a look of outrage. "Who's writing this garbage?" She stretched her hands outwards in a gesture of exasperation. "Of course people think Leo got her, her job, she is his daughter but she's good Danny, you've seen that."

The press secretary was already trying to work out what press person was trying to dig into Cadence's life and wondered who was leaking information to them about Cadence. What did they know and more importantly, what didn't C.J know?

Danny remained calm as he replied. "She's doing well for Hoynes, C.J, people are interested now. It's not just about where she's been after the thesis or her thesis, it's everything before as well. Leo got hit with a bad scandal and now there's a suggestion maybe things run in the family. Rumours are stating that maybe Cadence couldn't handle the fallout from her thesis and had a breakdown."

"Danny that's out of line," C.J snapped angrily. "And you should really talk to Hoynes' team about this." She frowned at him as ire filled her blue stare. "Why are you coming to me with this?" she demanded.

Danny smiled again but his smile was weaker, he could feel the ice seeping from C.J's stare.

"C.J if something comes up, she is Leo's daughter and the President seems fond of her. Also, you know if there is a story there, something more than fluff then I can't ignore it, it's news C.J."

"Nothing is going to come up," C.J grumbled. "She was young when that thesis came out, she took a break to escape the scandal, that is not the same as having a breakdown." C.J was doubting her own words, the truth was she had no idea where in the hell Cadence had gone or what she had done and she knew nothing about her youth or what troubles had haunted her then.

Danny nodded. "Sure C.J but maybe ask her about her gap years just in case. She's tough to track a history on and civilians don't usually have redacted information in their files C.J."

C.J couldn't conceal her surprise at this. She looked at Danny with wide, blue eyes, stunned that Cadence could have any kind of record and more than a little angry that someone had breeched whatever security was on it to find it. Her immediate thought was to speak to Leo but she didn't want him worried unnecessarily.

C.J opted for anger over shock and frowned. "Danny who's the reporter?"

Danny shook his head with a genuine spark of sorrow in his eyes. "You know I can't do that C.J, I've done enough telling you this. I don't know who told the reporter to go hunting either before you ask."

C.J fumed as she folded her arms and frowned at the press correspondent. She loathed the press' unspoken code to protect each other and their 'unnamed sources' no matter the damage they might cause.

"Look," Danny said calmly, "I hear Colombia is coming up, it might distract from this business, I'm just letting you know that's all. Maybe it's something, maybe it's nothing, I don't know anything solid."

C.J sighed and nodded. "Alright Danny, maybe we can just ignore when it comes out, cartels are a bigger story than some employee's teenage years surely."

C.J shrugged off her anger as best she could, knowing it wasn't fair to Danny. She approached him with a smile, drawn to him despite herself. He walked a thin line between work and courtship, always risking a scoop for a kiss. Sometimes it backfired when they got too close and C.J burned him as revenge for a scathing story he had unleashed. It was unfair and she knew it. He was unprofessional for pushing their passion and she was unprofessional for assuming he should choose personal ties over work ones. They were doomed.

"I'm grateful Danny," she assured. She leaned down to him and kissed him. They were doomed for sure but that was in the long run, in the short run she would enjoy the pleasure while she could. Everything with Danny was hot and fresh and there was definitely a certain erotic thrill to the potential of sleeping with the enemy. Things had never gone that far yet and C.J wondered if they would or could. Could she have casual sex with Danny? She didn't know and she wasn't willing to find out yet.

Danny welcomed the kiss even though he had previously scorned her for grabbing and kissing him on a whim. He wanted more and needed more but he was afraid to repeatedly admonish her in case he got less. She had the warmth of a morning coffee on her mouth and it was a welcome feeling with the cold of winter so near.

"Baby Bartlet!"

Zoey Bartlet, youngest born of the First Family, turned from the equally surprised Charlie with a startled squeal. "Cady Cat!" she cried out in delight.

Cadence McGarry stopped waving and pulled a face at the nickname before laughing as the teenager came running up to her with all the excitement of a schoolgirl rushing to her boyband crush.

Charlie watched with quiet amusement. Zoey had pestered him about Cadence a few times, apparently unsatisfied to accept that Cadence worked in a different building to him and therefore was unlikely to run into him often. She had spoken of Cadence with fondness and sorrow and Charlie sensed that she missed the older woman. He was glad to see them reunited even if it was in the corridors of the busy West Wing.

Zoey grasped the taller woman in a hug as she laughed with a raw joy at seeing her.

"Cady it's been years!" she exclaimed. "Why haven't I seen you yet?"

Cadence stiffened slightly in the teenager's grasp before smiling down at her. "Working for the V.P keeps me a little busy B.B," she said teasingly.

Cadence glanced over Zoey's head and spied Charlie lingering against the wall watching them. She looked at him in confusion before withdrawing from Zoey. "Let's see," she said as she held Zoey loosely with two gloved hands and looked her up and down, "you're a little taller but still a mouse compared to me. Hmm," Cadence frowned, "still no wrinkles kid, damn I hate the young."

Zoey Bartlet was the youngest of the President's daughter, sweet sixteen was a close shadow behind her as she entered seventeen and reached for adulthood firmly with both hands, having already gotten accepted into college despite being a minor. Pale skinned with her mother's dark auburn and chestnut hair, Zoey mastered an innocent beauty, her smiles were sweet and her green eyes were still bright with hope.

Zoey laughed as she shrugged off Cadence's grasp. "You're only six years older than me," she complained.

"Only," Cadence sneered. "I used to babysit you B.B. Never forget," she said solemnly as she clasped a hand to her chest mockingly, "I know when you stopped taking a teddy to bed, I got you through your first broken heart and I took you to get your ears pierced."

Cadence lowered her hand and took the opportunity to smooth down her light brown jacket and skirt.

Zoey looked embarrassed even as she laughed. Finally remembering Charlie, she glanced over to him and waved him over eagerly. "You were more of a bad influence than a good baby sitter," Zoey retorted. "You and Ellie."

Cadence's gaze filled with sorrow at the mention of Zoey's older sister. The Bartlet sisters were a good part of Cadence's past, although they had grown up in separate states, the friendship of their fathers had meant many memorable moments together. There had been sleepovers and extended weekend visits. Cadence and Mallory had always enjoyed swapping the Chicago city life for the country ways of Manchester, New Hampshire on the Bartlet farm.

Zoey smiled up at Cadence. "Have you seen Ellie yet?" she pried. A shadow of unease crossed her face. "Dad hasn't seen her in a while," she admitted. "She's not even that far, she's studying in Baltimore."

Cadence nodded before rubbing at her hair awkwardly. "I haven't really seen anyone Zoey, I've had no time."

Cadence glanced over to Charlie. He had approached them quietly with his usual tranquil expression. Cadence caught a whiff of a woody aftershave from him and her curiosity grew as she noticed that he was wearing a particularly nice looking suit. She noticed there were no Secret Service agents lingering by and just the usual West Wing workers rushing through the corridor with files and paperwork and not a care for the President's daughter and his aide.

"Afternoon Charlie," Cadence greeted him politely.

Cadence liked Charlie, he had never seemed phased by her behaviour on either plane ride to and from Texas, he had never made fun of her and had always been cordial and helpful. On the plane ride back he had even shown up at her seat with an offering of raisin cookies. Unfortunately, Cadence had rejected them with a non-verbal response that consisted of her vomiting whilst John had all but bolted from his seat in a moment of terror and disgust, determined to get away from vomiting range as he waved at Charlie shouting 'get the cookies gone'.

Cadence had apologised to Charlie after they had landed and mumbled about travel sickness.

"Afternoon ma'am," Charlie smiled and shook his head, "sorry, Cady," he corrected.

Zoey, now standing between them, glanced from one to the other eagerly. Her smile had faded and her stare had turned serious.

Cadence looked to the teen out of the corner of her eye, unsure about her expression. "Um am I missing something?" Cadence pried.

Zoey gave a giggle as she gave Charlie a fond glance. "We're dating," she admitted.

Cadence's blue-grey gaze filled with surprise as she looked from Charlie to Zoey.

Charlie looked noticeably embarrassed but Zoey was immune, confident as always in her choices.

"Hmm do I congratulate or tease?" Cadence quipped.

Zoey gave the older woman a light shove on her arm. "Congratulate," she said firmly.

Cadence laughed. "Alright, congratulations on finding someone to put up with you," she mocked. "Anyway, I was heading somewhere before I bumped into you, you know. I'm working now."

Zoey frowned at this and turned a pleading stare up to Cadence.

Charlie was relieved at Cadence's words, not that he liked to see Zoey sad by a reunion cut short but he was considering that it could be a matter of time before Sam or Josh appeared and then he knew the teasing would begin and if they saw Cadence the bickering would probably come as well.

"Cady Cat it's been years," Zoey repeated, "actual years, we need to catch up, I've missed you."

Cadence gave Zoey a warm smile. "You're the only one," she mused, "but alright. Mal did say I should arrange some sort of house warming thing. Problem is I have nothing in my house, I don't even have heat, so how about a very brief tour and then we go for dinner, you, me and Mal and whatever Secret Service agent on your protection that likes Chinese food."

Zoey winced at this reminder. "I have my own personal agent, her name is Gina," she confessed. "Not subtle for college but she is nice," she admitted.

Cadence smiled. "Sure, well I'll meet her at dinner."

"Tonight?" Zoey quipped hopefully.

Cadence's smile softened slightly and she dipped her head briefly before glancing back up to Zoey. "It's a little short notice but I'll see what Mal says," she gave into the begging gaze. "Damn Zoey, you are still a master of the puppy dog eyes." Cadence turned her smile over to Charlie. "Does she get you with that?"

Charlie gave a grin at this. "Sometimes," he admitted, "but I'm working on resisting it."
Cadence nodded. "Good job, stay strong Charlie."

Cadence opened up the brown satchel hanging over her shoulder and tugged out a notepad and pen. She scribbled a number onto a sheet hastily, tore it off and handed it to Zoey. "My home number, we'll say around seven, you give me a call and I'll give you the address."

"Alright," Zoey said happily as she accepted it.

"Now, I really do have to go," Cadence insisted, "my dad is expecting me."

Zoey nodded. "Okay, well I'll see you later then and you can tell me all about your new job, I want to hear everything."

Cadence nodded back before she started walking on, moving at a brisk pace as she hoped she wasn't late. Her father hadn't exactly specified at a time when he had phoned her office to request her presence, nor had he gone into too much detail about what he was looking. The vagueness was a bad sign and had Cadence pondering her last duties over the past few days. She had gone through them in her head meticulously but couldn't think of any that would have made her father mad.

Cadence headed through the maze of workers and offices towards the hub of it. Her father's office was beside the Oval Office, central to all goings on in the White House.

Cadence stepped through to Mrs Landingham's domain first and gave the woman a small smile.

"Good afternoon Cadence," Mrs Landingham greeted cheerfully as she glanced up with a smile.

"Good afternoon," Cadence retorted.
"Here to see your father?" Mrs Landingham nodded to the door of the Oval Office. "He's in with the President. I'll buzz him for you now."

Cadence was ready to protest and say it could wait but she hesitated, realising that her father wouldn't know she was out here otherwise.

Mrs Landingham hit the buzzer of the intercom. Once and then again. A crackle followed alongside shouting from behind the doors.

"He'll just be a moment," Mrs Landingham said sweetly. She bowed her head and resumed her writing.

The door of the Oval Office opened and Leo peered out curiously. His gaze turned serious as it fell on his daughter. "Cady, you're here, good," he said as if it was anything but. "Come in please."

Cadence, already wary of her father's stare, filled with concern as he invited her into the Oval Office. "In there?" she quipped dubiously.

Leo nodded. "Yes." He pushed the door open for her and stepped back in.

"Damn it," Cadence muttered under her breath, "I don't even know what I've done this time."

Cadence headed through the door and closed it behind her. She wondered why she always seemed to be shutting herself into these rooms with awkward situations, was it part of her masochist side?

The President stood there and for the first time in a while Cadence saw him only as Jed as he looked to her with the kindly concern of a father. Cadence hated it, she didn't want to be a cause for concern again.

"Cady," Jed was the one to address her first as Leo came to stand beside him, presenting a unified front, "your father and I need to talk to you about a few things."

Cadence felt her body tauten, she was still cold from the autumnal chill outside and could feel tiny bumps rising up on her legs. She didn't speak, she wasn't going to volunteer information.

Leo could see the worry on his daughter's face and knew their vagueness was cruel. He gave her a sympathetic look. "C.J came to me this morning," he explained. "Danny Concannon, the senior White House press correspondent advised her that someone in the press has been looking into you, tipped off by some unknown source."

"About what?" Cadence demanded sharply.

"Your past," Leo admitted. "It was vague, there was a mentioning of your mental health issues and questions about where you were for the past couple of years. It took a few hours for me to find this particular journalist, Danny was a little unwilling to give them up," he added bitingly.

"Do I get a name?" Cadence queried numbly. She felt violated that someone had felt the need to snoop into her life in the hopes of making a story out of it.

Leo shook his head sombrely and frowned. "I had to make a deal," he grumbled, "to find and silence this person."

"Wow dad you're making it sound like you bumped them off," she retorted with bitter cheer.

"The thought was there," Leo muttered, "but then I had to remind myself that doing that to a member of the press would not be good for the reputation of this White House."

"Loving fathers would understand you," Jed remarked empathetically.

Leo looked at his daughter squarely in the eye. "They're getting a one on one interview with the President," he explained, "to discuss an issue of their choosing. It's quite a sacrifice the President has made. Danny also had to profit from it," he added pointedly with a frown.

Cadence glanced from her father to Jed. She still didn't know what to say.

"They knew you had self-harmed and once tried to kill yourself," Leo said bluntly. He hated talking about it because it was a reminder of his failures as a parent. He hadn't been there, only Mallory had and he thanked God every day for that.

Cadence frowned at the reminder and rubbed her hands up her arms instinctively causing the sleeves of her jacket to wrinkle.

"So it's a mental health angle then," she murmured coldly, "am I sane enough for my job?"

Leo nodded. "Something like that but there was more Cadence, they got a file on you and said it had things taken out from it."

"A file?" she echoed.

Leo nodded again. "I was Secretary of Labor," he confessed, "and an alcoholic, and I am ashamed to admit it but I didn't need the scandal of my daughter trying to kill herself and getting sent to a mental facility for help becoming public."

Leo sagged slightly and for a very rare moment he looked tired. "I'm sorry, I really am but I used my position to ensure your medical notes were concealed."

"Oh." Cadence was stunned, this wasn't the direction she had expected the conversation to cover.

"Cady," Jed interjected again, "we've stopped this reporter but we still don't know who prompted him to go looking for this information, he said it was an anonymous tip off."

"Sir," Leo grumbled with a frown.

"What Leo?" Jed queried abruptly, annoyed to be interrupted.

"You said he," Leo scolded him.

"Ooh." Jed had the good grace to look sheepish. He glanced over at Cadence and waved carelessly with one hand. "Cady you didn't hear that, Presidential order of secrecy."

"You know saying things like that could lead to accusations of corruption sir," Leo chastised him.

Jed glanced over at him in exapseration. "Leo I've had to turn a ten minute chat into an hour long interview because you threatened to ruin his career and the careers of his future children."

Cadence gave a faint smile at this.

Leo sighed and resumed looking to Cadence. "Cady, what we're trying to say here is that this still might come out. It's my fault, I made your records secret and that will just have people wanting to get at them more."

Cadence swallowed hard, her throat was dry and the truth was, despite the threat her father was advising her of she still felt like she'd dodged a bullet. Her suicide attempt wasn't all that private, not really and there were much worse things in her past that could come tumbling out instead.

"I think if they do, you ignore them," Jed advised. "Rise above it and it will soon die out. It's just an over zealous fluff piece in the end. What you need to be aware of is who might have sent this reporter on the hunt in the first place," he said with a wag of his finger. "We'll keep an eye on it of course but you'll have to clue Hoynes, the Vice President," he corrected hastily, "and his team in on this, you've done too well to be bothered by these cheap stunts."
Cadence nodded sombrely. She figured it could be any number of people, sure Gavin and Tanya had come around to her but she still had plenty of enemies on John's team.

"There's more," Leo continued. He gave his daughter another apologetic gaze. "Cadence, if they got this they could get other stories as well, I need to know, where have you been the past couple of years? When in the hell were you in a plane crash?"

Cadence felt a roll of nausea at her father's questions. She shook her head. "Dad I was just away," she said with a forced calm, "travelling to escape the scandal. I went round the States and South America. It was a bush plane, small and cheap, it was nothing dramatic, it barely passed the trees before it came down again, I mean I'm standing here with no lasting injuries."

Cadence gestured down to herself pointedly with a smile. She turned her gaze down as she did and filled with hatred for herself. She didn't think the lie would have came so easily.