Title: Where the Heart Is
Author: N'kala
Disclaimer: Recognizable characters belong to Aaron Sorkin. The rest belong to me.
Summary: Early days in the Bartlet administration, a startling discovery is made about one of their own that has shocking repercussions.
Author's Notes: This story was written for Nanowrimo 2020. It has been completed, and I'll be posting as often as I can type it. There are a few notes before you jump in:
1.) I did quite a bit of research on the character backgrounds and on general functions of Congress. This is not betaed, so any mistakes are mine.
2.) I stayed as much with canon on most things, but in others I chose to deviate. The decisions were mine. As a result, there may be some OOC behaviors. If that bothers you, turn back now. Some decisions include the portrayal of John Hoynes and the elimination of his philandering.
3.) I owe the inspiration for this story to a number of other amazing authors. I loved 'Tommy Boy' by gibbsheroic27 and 'Long Lost Son' by collegegirl2805 (both on ffdotnet). The idea of Sam being a long-lost son is one of my favorite tropes and I wanted to give it a try. The other author I would like to credit is Roo's 'On the Road to the Real Thing'. The portrayal of John Hoynes made me stop to think more about this character. 'Where the Heart Is' is a sort of crossroads between these ideas.
4.) Elements throughout this story will also include references to past child abuse. Know your triggers.
Chapter One
Tuesday, January 27
Papers. So many papers.
"Sam?"
The stacks were growing, pressing in on him. Breaths started coming in faster, shorter- was it getting hard to breathe?
"Sam!"
The papers were closing in over his head now, blocking out the light . . . where was everyone? Couldn't they see he was being buried alive?
"Sam!"
Sam jolted upright with a sharp gasp, chest heaving as wide blue eyes swept the room. He tried to find the offending stacks of papers but instead found Josh standing over him with a worried look on his face.
"What?" Sam demanded.
"You okay?" Josh asked him. "You looked like you were having a nightmare."
Sam glanced around again, the familiar four walls of his office coming into view around him. His eyes fell on the pile of folders and papers strewn across his desk and he began shuffling them into some semblance of order. "I'm fine . . . fine."
Josh leaned back against Sam's desk and folded his arms. The concern on his face seemed to deepen. "Did you sleep here again?"
"It would appear so," Sam replied, the faintest hint of snark in his tone.
Josh was undeterred. "Sam."
Sam moved a book on top of a stack of papers. "Josh."
"Sam, this makes three nights in a row," Josh stated. "If you keep this up, the Secret Service is going to start charging you rent. Go home; take a day off to recharge. The country won't lapse into anarchy because you decided to clock out for the day."
Sam snorted indelicately. "I can't go home right now; there's too much work to do." He began gesturing at each newly organized stack of files and books on his desk. "There's the position papers on global warming, climate change, and fossil fuel consumptions. There's papers on privacy issues with social media. Legal asked me to verify confidentiality agreements involving ongoing investigations and what should be released to the press. And that's just what's due today, not to mention President Bartlet's administration goals speech. That's happening in four weeks, and we haven't even cleared an outline yet. I don't have time for a vacation right now."
"Did I say 'vacation'?" Josh retorted lightly. "I just meant it was okay to go ahead and take the normal eight hours or so that people are generally entitled to take within a workplace environment. Can't you delegate some of this out to the rest of your department?"
Sam leaned back in his chair and wearily scrubbed at gritty eyes. "I already did. I passed along most of the initial research phases of upcoming papers, less urgent news highlights, and general press release bites. Toby's still swamped with filling the last of our spots from the latest applicant pool, and CJ's pulling people to help her finish organizing her press briefing structure, and they're trying to find time to help out on getting the administration goals topics finalized. Everyone's swamped; not just me."
"Still, I didn't find anyone else asleep at their desk," Josh pointed out.
Sam rolled his neck, working out the cricks. "I can handle it. We're barely a week into our new administration. Things will settle down soon."
"Yeah, but if you keep this up, you may not last long enough to see that happen," Josh pointed out. "I'm not worried about you handling this; I'm worried about the burnout that you're clearly on track for. Why are you pushing yourself so hard? You already got the job."
Sam pulled up the calendar on his laptop to look through his appointments for the day. "It's not enough to 'get' the job; you have to work hard to 'keep' the job."
Josh frowned. "Sam, did . . . are you worried you're going to be fired?"
Sam rolled his eyes. "Of course not. But I need to show my department that I'm capable of doing this job. That means I need to work twice as hard as everyone else."
Something in the bitterness among Sam's words struck a chord in Josh. "Did someone say something to you?"
Sam's denial was immediate and expected.
"Sam," Josh said quietly.
Sam sighed. "No one said anything to me. But I did overhear someone complain about working for a kid half his age."
Josh scowled. "Sam-."
"I know it was just coworkers venting," Sam cut him off. "I know. But I don't want to give anyone cause to doubt my ability to do my job."
"So your solution is to work yourself into the ground?" Josh stated flatly.
"Josh-," Sam began.
"Sam, you wouldn't even be here if you weren't more than capable of doing this job," Josh told him. "Hell, President Bartlet knew he wanted you as his Deputy Communications Director way back in Chicago. We don't need you to be superman, Sam. Just be you. That's more than enough."
Sam smiled faintly at his best friend. "I appreciate the pep talk, Josh, but this is me." He sighed again, looking at the mess on his desk. "I have a lot to get through today. I'm going to take five minutes to track down some coffee, and then get back to it."
Josh straightened as Sam rose to his feet. "Take ten and go freshen up, too. Senior Staff is in a couple hours; I don't think you'd want to go looking like some hobo I picked up off the street outside the Metro."
"As if you would be caught dead near a Metro station," Sam retorted, walking with Josh out of his office.
"Stranger things have happened," Josh replied. He slapped Sam on the shoulder. "See you in a few."
Sam nodded as Josh headed in the direction of his own office. His eyes slipped over the slowly filling communications bullpen and the few people there, then turned his gaze down at his rumpled suit.
Reflecting that Josh might have had a point about his appearance, Sam decided a quick shower and change in the gym was in order. He retreated to his office for his spare suit and promptly stumbled over a forgotten stack of books just inside his door.
Maybe coffee first, Sam reconsidered. The caffeine would help wake him the rest of the way up, and maybe even help keep him upright.
Maybe.
Leo took his messages from Margaret with a distracted 'thank you' as he entered his office, his mind on the conversation he'd just finished with the president. He glanced through the messages to see if anything needed his immediate attention as he sat behind his desk, then looked around the room at his senior staff.
Toby was leaning forward in his chair towards CJ, who mirrored his pose from the couch. The two appeared to be bickering over the latest person admitted to the press room but Leo doubted it would amount to any sort of change.
Sam was sitting off to the side, bent over a notepad balanced on his knees and scribbling furiously. He seemed oblivious to everything around him, focused entirely on the words spilling out of his pen.
" . . . just one cup, Donna, not a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides!"
"Your well of random knowledge doesn't impress me," came Donna's even tone.
"Donna!" Josh appeared in the doorway to Leo's office and turned to face his assistant.
"See you after your meeting," Donna replied. Her fading click of heels reached Leo's ears as Josh entered the office and dropped into a chair near Sam.
"All right, all right," Leo called out, drawing everyone's attention. "Let's get started; we all have plenty to do."
CJ and Toby settled into their seats and turned to Leo. Josh reached across and nudged Sam, who glanced up in surprise.
"First, Josh; Representative Briggs appears to be our lone holdout in getting Franks' energy bill out of Ways and Means," Leo began. "I need you to meet with him and figure out why that is."
"No problem," Josh replied easily. "I'm heading up to the Hill this afternoon to meet with Franks. I'll take care of it."
Leo nodded his thanks. "Next; there's a situation brewing with rumors of abortion clinics about to get the ax. Evidently our electing a Roman Catholic president is causing quite the stir among liberals."
Sam frowned. "But he's a Democrat."
Leo raised his hands in a 'what can you do?' manner.
"Has the press asked you anything?" Toby asked CJ.
"Not anything specific," CJ replied. "It's been brought up, but so has stem cell research, LGBTQ rights, drug policy, and second amendment concerns. The usual amount of gossipping, speculating, and supposition that comes with a new administration."
"And how, exactly, do you know it's 'usual'?" Josh asked.
CJ leveled a deadpan look on him. "So I'm told."
"As long as it remains rumors, I'm fine with it," Leo stated.
"The press will want to know what the president thinks," CJ added.
"About what?" Josh asked. "Shutting down the clinics, or that there are rumors about it?"
"Both," CJ answered.
"Our answer's the same either way," Toby said. "The president has not made any statement regarding abortion clinics. Any plans he has for them, either way, won't happen without meeting with interest groups from both sides."
"We'll have to deal with the issue sooner or later," Sam told Toby as CJ scribbled Toby's statement down on her notepad. "It's not just going to go away."
"Later is good," Toby replied. "We have plenty of other issues to deal with that need our attention now."
"Speaking of which," Leo cut in, "we're about a month out from the president's administration goals speech. Where are we with that?"
"Toby and I need one more meeting with the president to finalize the outline," Sam promptly answered. "Once we have that, we can begin setting up meetings with the appropriate interest groups and farm out research sections."
"What have you got so far?" CJ asked, pen poised at the ready over her notepad.
"Economic reform package, employment and labor statistics, education interest groups, and health care," Sam said, double-checking his notes. "We've got welfare reform listed, but that needs the most research."
"I'll see about getting you some time," Leo promised. "Are we done hiring for the communications department yet?"
"Almost," Toby replied. "There's a few more interviews scheduled for this afternoon. If they aren't complete morons, then we'll be done and I'll be able to take some of the load back off of Sam."
Sam blinked at him. "I'm fine."
"I never said you weren't," Toby replied. "I just thought it might be good for your car to stop gathering dust in the parking garage."
"Leo, I've also been getting questions from the press about the president's position on climate change," CJ spoke up.
"And?" Josh asked.
"And it would be nice to know the president's position," CJ snarked. "I like to know these things. It works out nicely when the press asks me questions and I actually have answers to give them. They like when I do that. Really, it's a relationship that benefits us all."
"Nobody likes a smart ass, Claudia Jean," Josh teased.
"CJ, I've already scheduled meetings with several environmental groups to hear their concerns," Sam said. "If the press asks, just tell them that the president is making every effort to act in the best interests of the public."
"The oil industry won't like the sound of that," Josh commented.
"One problem at a time, please," Leo told him. "Now, I'm also getting asked by some teacher unions about the president's position on school vouchers-."
"I already took care of that." Sam rustled through the papers in his folio, pulling one out and passing it to Leo.
Leo took the paper and scanned over it. Slowly, he began to nod. "Good, Sam. This is good. I'll just need the research on school vouchers and their alternative options-."
"Got that too." Sam passed Leo a thin folder from his folio, then leaned back. At the silence that followed, he glanced around to find everyone watching him. "What?"
"I didn't know you were gunning for Leo's job," CJ stated.
"Have you saved any tasks for the rest of us?" Toby added.
Sam blushed.
"All right, that's enough," Leo said. "I got a new task for all of you. The president wants to look at getting S. 286 back on the docket in Congress and onto the floor."
Josh sat up straight in his chair. "Wait; are you serious?"
Leo gave him a wry look. "When have you ever known me not to be?"
"Uh . . ." CJ lifted a hand. "What's S.286?"
"It's a bill that Hoynes introduced back during his second senate term that never got out of subcommittee," Josh answered. "He refused to allow amendments to it, so it got pigeonholed. He didn't take that very well. If you're planning to resurrect 286, you better be ready for Hoynes to get involved."
"So?" Sam asked. "It was his bill."
"Yeah, but something about this bill pushes his buttons," Josh insisted. "I wasn't working on his committee at the time, but one of the guys I worked with was. Hoynes basically put him in charge of not only trying to get 286 going again, but to block any advancements of 286 that didn't get his seal of approval."
"Okay," CJ said, drawing the word out. "But what is it?"
Josh glanced at Leo. Leo waved a hand at him.
"It's a bill that, if passed, promises to provide computers and internet access to low-income schools across the country at no cost to them," Josh told her.
"That's not a bad idea," Sam said. "I mean, that would go a long way towards reducing the education gap among low-income and minority students."
"And the subcommittee wouldn't go for that?" CJ asked.
"I never said it was a bad idea," Josh pointed out. "It's just too expensive; no one wanted to shave funding off any existing programs, and a tax increase to fund the bill would have been way too high." He looked at Leo. "How is the president planning on getting 286 back to committee?"
"We found a sponsor who agreed to help us out," Leo told him. "We're going to drop the internet access part from the bill, change computers to devices to allow for flexibility, and push forward with providing those devices. Computers and tablets cost a lot less than they did fifteen years ago, so we think we'll be able to swing it. Josh, I'm putting you in charge of getting the support we'll need on the Hill. By the time President Bartlet addresses Congress, he wants to be able to tell them and the country that we're putting devices in the hands of students in need."
"Not a problem," Josh assured him. "And Sam here," he slapped a hand on Sam's back, "is going to help me."
Sam's head jerked towards him in surprise. "I am?"
"He is?" CJ echoed.
"Because you think Sam needs more work to do?" Toby asked.
"Nope," Josh replied. "Because Sammy here can get me a meeting with Congressman Winters."
Silence met his proclamation.
"Congressman Winters," Toby repeated, his tone flat.
"Yes," Josh nodded.
"Appropriations subcommittee cardinal Christopher Winters," Toby added.
"That's the one," Josh confirmed.
"Wait," said CJ. "Isn't that the guy everyone calls the dragon of the House of Representatives because of how he hoards funding for projects?"
"Yep," Josh replied.
"How in the hell is Sam going to help you with setting up a meeting with Winters?" Leo asked.
Josh looked at Sam who was shaking his head, eyes pleading for Josh to stop.
"Something you want to share with the rest of the class, kids?" Toby asked.
Josh gestured at Sam. Sam winced, then slumped his shoulders.
"He's my uncle," he admitted to the room.
CJ's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "The most feared man in either House in Congress . . . is your uncle?"
Sam nodded.
CJ glanced at Toby, then Leo, then back to Sam. "I don't get it."
"You see, CJ, when a man and a woman love each other very much-," Josh started.
"He's my mom's older brother," Sam cut in quickly. "He . . . yeah."
"This is the same guy who single-handedly got Congressman Sanders ousted from office for voting against him on the floor?" Toby asked.
"That's not exactly-," Sam tried.
"How could someone like that be related to our Sam?" CJ asked.
Sam frowned, blinking at CJ. He glanced at Josh. "I'm not entirely sure if I should be offended or not."
"Well, it is CJ," Josh told him.
Sam's frown deepened. "Was that supposed to help clarify things?"
"Okay then," Leo said, pulling their conversation back on track. "Josh, do what you gotta do. Just keep me updated, and do your best not to burn any bridges that we might need further down the line."
"So who's going to break the news to Hoynes?" Josh asked. "Once he gets wind of this plan, he's going to be like a dog with a bone."
"You leave Hoynes to me," Leo told him. "You just worry about getting that bill through Congress. CJ, Toby; hold off on releasing anything to do with 286 until after I speak with Hoynes. I'd rather he hear the news from me than a reporter."
Toby nodded.
"You got it," CJ acknowledged.
"Then if that's all, get outta here and go do some work," Leo said.
CJ and Toby hurried out of the office, resuming their discussion from earlier. Josh waited for Sam to organize his folio, then joined him as he headed out of Leo's office.
"I wish you hadn't gone and told everyone about Uncle Chris," Sam stated.
"Was it a secret?" Josh asked, concern tugging down the corners of his mouth.
"He's not going to appreciate my pushing the president's agenda on him every time we want a bill to get through the House," Sam told him.
"It's not every opportunity," Josh corrected him. "Just this one."
Sam scoffed. "For now. Just wait; once word gets around, people will be knocking down my door for favors."
They turned around a corner and entered the communications bullpen. A solidly-built man at the desk just inside the bullpen glanced up at them, and Sam nodded at him distractedly.
"You'll still help me with 286, though, right?" Josh asked, a wheedling note creeping into his voice.
"It just so happens that my mother left me a message the other day asking me to get in touch with Uncle Chris," Sam said. "I guess he's been asking to see me, though I doubt this is what he had in mind."
"No, that's perfect!" Josh exclaimed. "You can call him back and set up a meeting, and I'll come with you!"
Sam halted just in front of his office door and turned to face Josh fully. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, man. It might be better if I go alone for this first meeting."
"What's the big deal?" Josh asked. "I've met him before, back when we were both aides; remember? He won't mind me tagging along."
"Josh-," Sam tried again.
"Great!" Josh said. "Listen; I'm really swamped today with appointments. Try to set the meeting for tomorrow afternoon, okay?"
"Josh-."
Josh slapped Sam on the back, a bright grin lightening up his face. "You're the best, buddy! Let me know when it's set, all right?" He glanced at his watch, spun on his heel, and strode quickly towards the policy bullpen. "DONNA!"
Sam watched Josh leave, an uneasy feeling beginning to churn in his stomach.
"Sam? Are you okay?"
Sam tore his eyes away from the bustling hallway and turned to find his assistant watching him in concern.
"I'm fine, thanks Cathy," he replied. He started to head into his office, then paused. "Oh, Cathy- could you please get me whatever you can find on S. 286?"
"Sure, Sam," Cathy replied.
"Thanks." Sam retreated into his office and set his armful down on his desk. Glancing around at the work waiting for him, along with the new arrivals awaiting his attention in his inbox, Sam grabbed the stack that held that day's press briefing notes to finish editing.
The Vice President's office at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building was a mirror of the West Wing in the White House if the sheer level of activity from its staff was anything to go by. Leo had to excuse himself no less than four times as he maneuvered around fleet-footed staffers only half-paying attention to where they were going. His presence garnered several curious looks, but no one stopped him as he made his way around the corridors.
John Hoynes was standing to one side of his office, his head bent over a file that his own chief of staff, Mark Reynolds, was holding. The rest of his senior staffers were just exiting the office as Leo slipped inside. Leo nodded to several of the faces he recognized as he moved to stand near a tall, oaken bookshelf to wait for a chance to speak.
". . . yeah, if you'll move that to next Monday at two-thirty, that'll give us time to get what we need," Hoynes' voice emerged out of the bustle. "Thanks, Mark. See you in thirty?"
"See you then, sir." Mark closed the folder and started to head out of the office. His steps faltered slightly as he caught sight of Leo, but a small nod from Hoynes sent him on his way.
"Leo," Hoynes greeted, stepping closer. He held out a hand. "Didn't think I'd see you on this side of the street. Get turned around on your way to work?"
Leo accepted the handshake with a grin. "Well, if I did, you'd have no problem showing me the way out."
Hoynes chuckled appreciatively. "I'm not too sure about that; this building is quite the maze still, and we've been here since November." He gestured to a couple nearby chairs. "What brings you to my neck of the woods? It must be important if you came yourself; you can't be any less busy than we are, and we're swamped with work."
The two men sat down. Hoynes reached for a glass decanter filled with ice water from the end of the table and lifted it, his look questioning. Leo declined the offer with a shake of his head.
"There's no shortage of work to do, that's for sure," Leo agreed as Hoynes poured a glass of water for himself. "I'm here because I wanted to talk to you about 286."
The glass of water paused halfway to Hoynes' mouth. Hoynes frowned in confusion. "Why? It's been gathering dust in a drawer for the last ten years. Unless you can get Congress to loosen its grip on the purse strings, I'm pretty sure that's where it's going to stay."
"It's a good bill, John," Leo told him. "The president wants to take it out, dust it off, and put it back on the agenda."
"And make some changes," Hoynes stated, setting his glass down.
"Necessary changes, yes," Leo said.
"And just what are these necessary changes?" Hoynes asked.
"Changes that will greatly increase the bill's chances of getting passed," Leo told him.
Hoynes refused to be distracted. "What changes, Leo?"
"We're changing computers to devices, but we're shelving the internet access," Leo stated.
Hoynes' frown deepened. "Leo-."
"John, it won't pass with internet access," Leo said. "It's too expensive. We can't afford both."
Hoynes surged to his feet, one hand running through his hair. He spun and pointed at Leo. "You can't just drop the internet access! Without it, the bill is pointless! You might as well just stick thousand dollar paperweights in each classroom!"
Leo slowly rose to his feet. "John, I didn't come here to get your permission. I came as a courtesy to you. We've already found a sponsor willing to work with us on this. With the amendment, it'll move to the floor for a vote. WIthout it, it'll stay stuck in subcommittee."
"286 may not have gotten out of subcommittee, but it's not going to pass without internet access," Hoynes stated.
"It'll pass, John," Leo insisted.
"No, it won't," Hoynes countered. "I may not have had enough backing to move it forward, but I do have enough to prevent it from passing without internet."
"John, you can get internet access on another bill," Leo pointed out. "Let us get devices in the classrooms first. Hell, we'll work with you to get internet on the next one. Why does it have to be on 286?" Leo paused, studying Hoynes for a moment. "Does it have anything to do with Charlie?"
"God, Leo!" Hoynes walked to the other side of the room, anger bright in his eyes. He stalked back towards Leo. "Not everything has to do with Charlie, you know! This bill wasn't even written until ten years after he was taken! Did it ever occur to you that I'm not letting it drop for the simple reason that the bill won't work without internet access?"
"The president disagrees," Leo said in a calm, even tone.
"Big surprise," Hoynes shot back.
"This is happening, John," Leo said. "We would rather have it happen with your support, but we're doing it either way."
"You keep internet access on the bill, you'll have my support," Hoynes stated.
A firm knock on the door frame to the office drew both men's attention to Hoynes' personal assistant. The young woman was standing in the doorway, her eyes on Hoynes.
"I'm sorry, sir, but your wife is on the line," she told the Vice President.
Hoynes nodded and thanked his assistant, then moved to his desk. "Excuse me, Leo, I need to take this. Since you found your way into the building, I trust you can find your way back out?"
Leo took the dismissal for what it was and slipped out of the office.
end chapter 1