Hope you like it. I might not get your reviews for a couple of days, as I'm away from home the now, but if you review, that would be brilliant.

"Josh, do you trust me?"

Josh raised an eyebrow as he continued monitoring a screen. "Will all due respect Senator, I trust you with the country, I do not trust you with this campaign."

"Good to know." Simon smiled his signature, toothpaste ad, grin. "Donna, have, Mrs. Cregg-Concannon, and Ms. Lucas arrived yet?"

"CJ's on her way, Joey's just walked in the door."

"Can you send them in when they both get here? I want to speak to them together."

Josh swivelled round on his chair as Donna left. He folded his fingers together.

"Simon. Don't take Joey as VP. I'm serious. A gay nominee will be hard enough to get elected without you throwing a Deaf nominee into the equation. We're up against Mr Republican of The Year-beer belly-but reassuring-Sullivan. He's taken the admittedly odd choice of Ainsley Hayes, but that woman is good. She may talk like a maniac, but she knows her stuff, she's experienced and she can kick Sam Seaborn's ass. We don't want to look like minority row here. If you take on Joey, one, people won't want a Deaf woman in charge of the country if anything happens to you, and two, it will look like you're trying to play the sympathy card."

Simon pulled up a chair across from him, he spoke with quiet assurance. "I've thought of all that. But I haven't chosen either yet, and I do respect your opinion, and most of the time Josh, I do trust you. But Joey's one of the two best choices. She's strong, she's assertive, and she could kick Ainsley's arse… ass, any day. She's quick-"

"She has a bad tendency of swearing at people."

"She did that once-"

"-Twice-"

"-And only to you. I agree, we need someone who can beat Ainsley, and there are only two people we can be sure of doing that, Joey Lucas or CJ Cregg. Without one of the two. We. Are. Stuffed."

Simon stood up turning to the door and signing, "Ms. Lucas, it is a pleasure to see you again. Ms. Cregg. Look, because I trust him, I'm going to leave you with Josh, and he'll explain the situation."

"I will?!"

"In a calm and completely unbiased way."

CJ smiled, "Josh will never be able to do that, Senator Fuller-"

"-Simon, why will no one just call me Simon?" He flung his hands in the air theatrically as he pulled off his shirt and stepped into the washroom at the side. "I need a shower so bad."

Joey's eyebrows shot up, "The Greek temple of a body has to work in your favour."

Kenny after relating this to the room turned on Joey, in mock concern, "Can you not lust after other men? It makes me feel trivial."

"And slightly jealous." Joey smiled, speaking out loud. "Josh, why are we here?"

"I'd like to know that too."

Josh heaved a breath, unlocking his fingers. "The Senator-"

"-SIMON-"

"- wants me to ask you two, if either of you is willing to take up the post of Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate, if he wins the nomination."

Joey looked incredulous, "He knows I'm deaf, right?"

"He doesn't think it matters. He thinks, you're strong and assertive and would lead the country in his stead duly and with the greatest respect for his- our values. And he thinks both of you can kick Ainsley's "arse"."

"I CORRECTED MYSELF."

Josh raised his voice, "Simon, if you want me to do my job, stop treating me like I'm your husband."

Simon called back, "Then stop treating me like I'm your wife."

"If I treated Donna how I treat you I wouldn't be alive."

"Eh hem, back to the point, Josh." CJ looked doubtful. "Josh, I've been saying for the last eight years I don't want to get stuck in the White House for the rest of my life. I've got a great job at the moment, I'm settled, and I have a seven year old kid needing help with her homework. I can't take the position."

Joey also remained looking sceptical. "I wouldn't be an asset to your campaign, Josh. I would be a hindrance."

Simon leant his ear against the door. Josh started backing up the arguments he himself had made earlier. Score. "Shit, I do treat him like my husband. Dammit."

"Joey, CJ. One of you has to accept, please, or we're stuffed. Likelihood is that we won't even get the nomination. But I am begging you."

CJ smiled, "Are you willing to bet anything on that?"

Josh turned round on his chair, to look at the monitor behind him. As he stared at the screen he grabbed a coat, and begun moving towards the door yelling, "FULLER! I need you fully dressed in five minutes. I'm going to find Pretty Boy Peters.

"CJ, Joey, one of you needs to be able to go out there with Simon when Santos introduces you. Don't let me down."

They heard him yell as he dashed away, "We're gonna win this baby."

-----

Santos stood up at the podium of the Democratic Convention. "It has been, and honour to serve you, and this great country for the past eight years, but now it gives me... The greatest honour and the utmost pleasure to introduce to you the leaders of our party... The next President and Vice President of these United States.

"Simon Anthony Fuller and Josephine Lucas."

Simon and Joey, arm raised, hand in hand as a united front stepped on to the stage, as Gordon and Kenny followed them out, Donna turned to Josh with a smile to match his own on her face, as on the screen scrolling repeatedly across every new channel, "DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION- Democratic Ticket: Fuller-Lucas."

Gordon holding Sophia's hand, the toddler had wildly insisted to be allowed to walk, let go and allowed Simon to hoist her up into a swing above his head, the cheering mixed with a laugh as Sophia let out a loud, high-pitched scream, which caught on the mikes and echoed across the hall. Gordon joined in the laughter briefly, before pecking his daughter, and spouse on the cheek and dashing off. Simon looked after him, astonished, and could not help wondering where he was going. Kenny and Joey's hands locked, Joey with a wide grin grabbed Simons again, as Santos patted Simon on the shoulder, he muttered in the other man's ear. "Now, the real game begins."

-----

The Sullivan House, West Virginia...

Ray Sullivan sat at his desk a television on low, as Fuller began his speech, he picked up his phone. "Ainsley... Time to get this ball rolling."

Poll Results:

Joey Lucas- 10 » 62%

CJ Cregg- 4 » 25%

Will Bailey- 2 » 12%

Unique Voters: 16