Thanks Hannah, for the extra touch that gives the title.
Simon walked into the miniature headquarters of the Fuller Campaign that Donna had set up in a cheap Washington hotel. He was in a positive mood, he had successfully not watched the news for two days, Gordon had been filtering his calls, and nothing Campaign-ish had been allowed through unless it involved the nuclear destruction of the HQ which had not occurred.
That was a slight lie; there had been one campaign issue that had been brought up...
Josiah Edward Bartlet made his way up the front drive of a home in Massachusetts, he motioned his security team to wait at the bottom of the garden. It was a nice house, quite small with the distinct look of a-child-lives-there about it. He leant forward and up, always a difficult when you're unable to make use of your legs, and rang the door bell.
A small girl of four or five opened the door. "Daddy, there's a man in a chair here." An anxious looking father scooped her up, muffling her hair as he did so.
"What did I tell you about opening the door, Soe? What did I tell you?" He looked to the "man in the chair". "Sorry, what can I do for you? Um, do you want a hand in or...?"
"That would be good." However, as Gordon stepped out to help him. A security member put his hand between them.
"Excuse me, sir, but procedure." Jed rolled his eyes at Gordon as he let them in.
Gordon however looked horrified a he realized who he had been speaking to. "Mr. President. I'm sorry; I'm really bad with faces." A burning smell came from a back room. "Shit. Please, come in make yourself comfortable, Soe, find Pa for the gentleman. Tell him Daddy says he's to come. And it's not Josh."
"Pa, come down, not Josh." Sophia tottered through the house repeating. As Gordon rushed to save his rhubarb pie, Former President Bartlet was wheeled into an open plan living space. Simon in casual slacks and a polo shirt entered after him and shook his hand.
"It's good to meet you, sir."
Bartlet waved his hand. "Please... Jed. Firstly, I'm here to tell you not to give up on your campaign."
"I'm not giving up, sir. I just came up to clear my head, see my kid and speak to my brother."
"And secondly, that I'm endorsing you."
Simon looked taken aback. "I'm..."
"Have you spoken to Josh?"
"Not directly."
"Beaton's pulled out. Sandy Portland's taken over his spot. And there are rumours going about on why Beaton's pulled."
Simon went red. "There are?"
"Speak to Josh and good luck." Another slight of the hand and the security took hold of his chair and lead him out. "I'll visit your brother too, before I leave."
"But sir..."
"I know, Simon."
"JED!" Bartlet's chair turned. And their eyes met. "Thank you." As Bartlet left he dropped something on the ground, Simon walked over and picked it up. It was a napkin, on it was written;
"FULLER FOR AMERICA." Everyone knew the legend, and Simon smiled.
...Josh met him at reception. "Thank god. Never interrupt a campaign again. Not five days before the Convention."
Simon was surprisingly pleased to see him. Usually he felt Josh was a complete jerk, but today fresh and cheery and enjoying the look of permanent irritation etched on Josh's face he grinned and said, "Find me CJ Cregg and Joey Lucas, then let's go win this election."
"Nomination." Josh corrected.
"Election." Simon walked into the conference room.
*
"Fuller, you're being attacked." Annabeth woke up the Senator at his five o'clock (at seven o'clock) nap following a day catching up on the campaign travels. Simon looked up blearily. "On guns, and abortion."
She put a DVD into the machine across from him. The trademark picture of him, with mussed up hair- Annabeth referred to it as the "hunky hair"- was the first thing to come up, a title under it said "Simon Fuller".
"HEALER OR HYPOCRITE?"
"Simon Fuller wants to take away your guns. TO STOP THE MURDER."
A picture of a foetus in the womb came up. "Yet Simon Fuller wants to MURDER: HIM"
A picture of an infant came up. "HIM." A picture of a playing child."HER." And a crowd. "AND THEM."
"IT'S YOUR CHOICE."
"HEALER OR HYPOCRITE?"
The picture of Fuller came back up. "Simon Fuller, Pro-Choice, Pro-Murder."
Simon sat upright. "That it is such a load of shit. Do they not think...?"
Annabeth walked out, she had already heard it all from Josh.
Vote for Democrat Vice-Presidential Candidate on my poll. I won't post the next chapter till I've got someone with 9 votes.
And smiles. I'm happy.