Matt Santos continued to peer at his guests wondering if every last one of them had completely lost their mind. The only two people who seemed to be flabbergasted were Josh and Sam. Matt's brown eyes looked at each military advisor and then settled on the blue ones of his predecessor.

"Seriously?"

"Matt, I know it's a lot to take in; Lord knows you should have seen my reaction when I found out. And Leo! He was insisting that Fitz and Nancy get checked out at Washington Memorial" Jed Bartlett answered with a chuckle. "I had this exact conversation with my predecessor and I can tell you that Mike, Rollie and Kate are not trying to pull off some elaborate hoax."

"What about the other departments? FBI? NSA? Do they know?"

"Yes, sir; all department heads know of the situation" Kate replied moving forward in her chair. "The only reason your office is kept in the dark is so that you can claim –"

"Plausible deniability."

"Yes sir."

"Why do you know? You are no longer NSA; did you know when you worked with Nancy?"

"No sir. I was briefed when Dr. McNally placed me in charge of the group formally known as the Initiative just after she took the position you offered."

"What about Arnie?"

"Matt, everyone who needs to know, knows. You three are the only ones who don't" Jed gently stated.

"Excuse me" Josh interjected, confusion marring his face. "Why didn't I know when you did sir?"

"Because, Josh, I decided to leave you out of it. You were up to your chin with your Mary Marsh fiasco and I wasn't so inclined to give you any more information that might just be blurted out on national television" Jed answered, narrowing his eyes at his old Deputy Chief of Staff.

"Yes sir" Josh responded as he tried to sink back into the couch.

"Kate, what is the plan" Sam questioned pulling the focus away from his friend.

"I'll leave that up to Commander Finn."

All heads turned to a young man who promptly jumped to his feet.

"Actually, I'm leaving that up to the Scoobies who…excuse me, the group who are due to arrive shortly."

"Scoobies" President Santos questioned.

"Yes sir" Riley answered sheepishly ducking his head. "It's more of a pet name they gave themselves."

"Well that explains the names on my calendar" the president remarked as he rose to his feet. Matt walked to the door, opened it "Ronna, are our guests in the Roosevelt room?"

"They haven't arrived yet, sir."

Matt nodded his head before turning back to the group in his office, motioning them to follow. As the group joined their leader, Eric, the president's personal aid, came running around the corner, quickly stopping in front of the group just outside of Josh's office. Confusion quickly spread through the small group before Josh noticed the lighting outside his window. He walked through his office, his eyes widening as lighting seemed to shoot right out the sky into the ground.

"What the hell?"

The other quickly gathered around the small window, taking in the sight of Willow, Faith and Spike fighting.

"Jesus" Kate whispered before turning to Mike, who was already on the phone. Kate vaguely heard Mike give the command, her attention now diverted to the agents who were storming Josh's office, with Helen Santos, Donna Moss and Abby Bartlett in tow. Agents surrounded the group and quickly moved them into the Oval Office, astonishment marring every face. Even though they could no longer see the lawn outside of Josh's window, every eye was on the windows as lighting crashed again and again. Kate moved her gaze across the party and the hair rose on the back of her neck.

"Where are Sam and Agent Finn?"


Riley and Sam made it out of the building just as Mike was crashing the west wing. Sam screeched to a halt as Riley shouted orders into his wrist communicator. Lighting was hitting the ground with enough ferocity to create small craters. He was about to run to Riley when several other agents passed him, joining the fray of humans and what Sam could only describe as monsters. His blue eyes fell on a dark headed woman, whose eyes were closed and arms were raised toward the sky. Though it was impossible, Sam couldn't help but think that she was controlling the lighting. He also saw a monster running towards her. Without thought, Sam rushed towards the dark headed woman and grabbed her arm just as the monster's hand reached her chest. Sam jerked Willow against him and heard her cry out just before another body slammed into them, pushing them all to the ground. Almost instantaneously, Sam experienced four different sensations. First and foremost was the vibrations running from his hand up into his arm and then radiating throughout his body; second was the weight that had lessened as Faith jumped back to her feet; third was the pain running through his chest and finally he realized that his shirt was wet. Upon hearing someone shouting a name, Sam came to the rest of his senses and he struggled to disengage himself from the body on top of him. He gently rolled Willow to one side and tried to claim ownership of his hand still clasped with hers. His blue eyes ran from their joined hands, the source of the vibrations, up to her face. He gasped as he took in her features, his gaze locked on Willow's black eyes.

"Willow!" Faith spared a glance at her friend as she continued to keep one of the creatures at bay. "Will, do something!"

Willow jerked her eyes away from Sam but tightened her hold on his hand. She looked around her and realized that their team of fighters was considerably out numbered. Apparently, the initial attackers had friends. Willow closed her eyes and reached out to each human and called them all to her. At once Faith, Spike, Riley and his agents circled around Sam and Willow. Willow threw her arm in the air and Sam watched as a light enclosed the group. She began to chant, her grip on Sam hand tightening even more. Sam, urged by fear and knowledge he couldn't explain, pulled her closer and wrapped his free arm around her waist. Willow winced but continued to chant, leaning back against Sam's chest. The former speech writer was speechless; words had never failed Sam but it would be days later before he would be able to explain what had actually happened.

Sam felt a hand descend on each of his shoulders. He looked up to each owner and saw that each hand belonged to one of the woman's friends; this woman that they called Willow. The vibrations running through his body became stronger, almost pulsating. Suddenly a bright white light emerged from Willow's hand and shot through the parking lot, hitting each monster and disintegrating them. Later he would describe it to Josh as the climactic scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Within seconds he felt the pulsating slow back to a tingling sensation as hands were removed from his shoulders.

"Brody, Malcom and Miller; take care of the wounded and let's get the rest of you inside" Riley shouted as he favored a leg. "Mr. Seaborn, are you hurt? You are covered in blood, sir. Are you wounded?"

"No, I don't think so…I don't think it is me. My side and chest…but I don't ….I don't think the blood is mine."

Sam began to disengage himself when he felt Willow squeeze his hand. She gave her head a quick shake and rolled slightly to reveal her wound. Ignoring the pain in his side, Sam gathered his feet underneath him and gracelessly raised both of them from the ground. Adjusting Willow in his arms, Sam quickly made his way inside. He knew that Abby was in the building.


"Holy Mary Mother of God" President Bartlett breathed.

"Did I just see that" Donna whispered to Josh.

"Heaven above, pray for us sinners" President Santos murmured pulling Helen into his arms.

"What just happened" Eric begged, directing his question to Kate.

"Explanations will have to wait", Abby stated walking toward the outer office and rolling up her sleeves. "I think we have some wounded coming in. Eric, run to the nurse's station and bring back all the supplies you can; Rollie, go with him. Someone make sure an ambulance is on the way."

For a second, everyone stood still, trying to comprehend what they had just seen. Suddenly, Josh shook his head and hurried to follow the former First Lady, his companions trailing behind. The Secret Service stopped Josh before he was able to exit the Oval Office.

"Sirs, you cannot leave" Mike instructed, his gaze shooting between the President and the Chief of Staff. "Once we are able to canvas the area and have a better understanding of what has happened, we will determine if we need to move you and President Santos to the bunker. Until then we are crashed."

"Crashed?"

"Yes, Mr. Lyman."

"Are you insane? Crashed," Josh nearly shrieked brushing Donna's hand off his arm. "Then how are these people getting in the building?"

"As far as you and President Santos are concerned, the building is crashed. No one will be entering this office. Dr. Bartlett has been released to treat any wounded until emergency services have arrived. Everyone else in this room must remain." Mike answered giving Josh and the others a look of understanding and determination.

Sam staggered into the building shouting Abby's name as he made his way toward the oval office. His side was excruciatingly painful and his grip on Willow kept slipping from the blood slowly oozing from the woman's side. He stumbled toward Ronna's office before he saw Abby rushing to him. He leaned against the wall adjusting his grip as Abby barked orders to the Secret Service to clear Ronna's desk. Relief swept over him as an agent took Willow from his arms.

"Mike, what is the ETA on that ambulance" Abby calmly asked as she examined Willow's wounds. The four long incisions ran just under Willow's left breast and ended just above her right hip, where the wounds were the deepest. "Sam, I need your shirt."

Sam quickly removed his dress shirt and let Abby guided his hands to hold the shirt against Willow's side. He nodded as Abby told him to apply pressure while she checked Willow's pulse. Sam avoided looking at anything except Willow's face while his mind flashed scenes and emotions from his past.

Josh lying on the concrete, screams dying around him.

Grabbing CJ and pulling her to the ground as glass exploded.

Relief filling his body after seeing Charlie directing people to medics.

Hearing a series of loud pops as people everywhere dropped to the ground.

Josh holding his stomach as Toby shouted for help.

Josh being lifted on a gurney while medics shoved IVs in him.

CJ and Toby holding Sam back so that the medics could do their job.

Replacing the oxygen mask that Josh kept pushing away.

Donna pale and withdrawn, standing in the waiting room.

"The paramedics are here" Abby stated, breaking Sam's thoughts. "You ride with her and make sure they look you over as well. I'm afraid that you have a couple of broken ribs and you are going to need some stitches on that gash on your forearm."

Sam nodded his head, his blue eyes flicking over Abby's face as a paramedic moved him to the side. Confusion rang through his mind and Abby took him by the hand, moving both of them to Willow's other side.

"I think she is going to be fine, Sam. Thankfully, no major arteries and veins were damaged. You hold her hand and ride with her to the hospital. Once we are cleared, I'll bring her friends along." Abby took Sam's face into her hands. "You are both going to be fine; you are just a little startled. Once you get to the hospital, let the doctors do their job and you have your ribs examined. I'll be along shortly, I promise."

Sam held Abby's hazel gaze until the paramedics moved Willow to a gurney. He nodded his head and tightened his grip on the red head. He let his eyes move to the open door of the Oval Office. Josh was there with Donna right behind him. Josh was safe. Donna was safe. President Santos and President Bartlett were safe. Everyone was safe now; everyone except this woman, this woman who somehow controlled lighting. This woman had saved his life and the lives of those around him. This woman had made his body come alive with electricity he had never before experienced. This woman, whose face made Sam catch his breath, had some explaining to do.