The Republican Leadership was in shock as they contemplated what they had just been told. Of every possible scenario which could have played out, this was no where near what any of them had been expecting.

Finally, their shock was interrupted with a chuckle from the back.

Glen Walken looked over at the offending man and said, "Something funny, Bob?"

Robert Royce nodded and said, "Yes. Josh Lyman was right."

The room was a little surprised at that comment and finally Glen asked, "About what?"

Royce stood and paced a bit as he explained. "Josh told me that he, and everyone else in the West Wing, was doing normal work. The White House wasn't doing anything that we weren't expecting them to do. And not to worry about the Press Conference because it had nothing to do with us."

The Majority Whip, Representative Haffley was irritated as he asked, "What's so funny about that?"

Royce turned on the leadership and said loudly, "We've wasted hundreds of hours of time in the last three days, probably thousands and thousands of dollars, trying to figure out what the White House was doing. Why the hell things all of a sudden changed on Saturday. We were so god-damned paranoid that we couldn't believe the simple truth that there's absolutely about this that we can use to promote our agenda because there's absolutely no way that the White House can use this to promote their agenda."

He looked around with pity at his fellow Republicans. "We're so god-damned worried about politics that we couldn't take just a moment to consider that maybe we weren't being lied to. We all know Josiah Bartlett. Say whatever you want about the man, but he doesn't lie much. Even the MS was unspoken, not lied about. His staff, like us, might go that extra mile to hide their strategy from the other side, but when it's Bartlett saying it – it's almost guaranteed to be the God's honest truth as he sees it." He turned to Arkin and asked, "What did Cregg announce about the press conference this morning? Her exact words?"

Arkin considered this and replied, "The President would be speaking about a matter of great personal importance."

"Personal importance. Personal. Can anyone argue that what we just heard was just about as personal as could be?"

There were heads shaking all over the room. "They didn't have to do a damn thing to make us crazy – we did it to ourselves."

With that Royce sat down and looked at them.

Glen looked around and saw the truth expressed on all of the faces in the room. Some looked irritated about it, but none could disagree. "So, what do you think we should do about it?"

Royce sighed. "Look. We've got a Republican Congress. And Jed Bartlett is going to be President for the next three and a half years, no matter what we do. The man admitted to hiding things from the American public MONTHS before the last election and he still kicked our asses. We got a Republican Congress out of it – but Jed Bartlett is fucking bulletproof. And with a new and pretty daughter as the new-found Princess of United States – even though Bartlett WON'T use her – that won't change. Let's use that."

Everyone looked interested. "How do we use that? It sounds like they have the upper hand."

Royce smirked and shook his head. "No. We do. For the next two years, until 6 months past the midterms, we're going to do what has ultimately worked in government for the last 200 years. We're going to push our agenda, they're going to push their agenda, and then we're going to compromise. We're going to make the Congress and the White House work so well together that no voter in America will want to change things during the midterms. We're going to make Bartlett look like the best President in the last hundred years."

Haffley exloded, "But that's going to just GIVE them the White House in the next election!"

"No it won't! Because we're going to work so well with the White House that the Vice-President is going to be bored out of his skull because he will NEVER get called to negotiate. No one in the West Wing likes asking Hoynes for help. And if we make it unnecessary – it won't happen.

"And everyone knows what happens when John Hoynes get bored: He will find scandalous things to do to pass the time and he'll make a mistake. That's the 'Presumptive Nominee' gone. Whether he makes it to the end or not, Hoynes – their best chance – is out. Now. Let's say he ends up resigning. We work out a deal with the White House, being nice and cooperative, that whomever takes over – no matter how good he might be – is someone who doesn't want to run in 3 years.

"The strategists on the other side get lazy and out of practice because there's too much to lose in being combative.

"Then it's whomever we pick as our best choice against whomever they pick. A fair fight. Nothing more, nothing less. We're going to play Bartlett up so much that they'll realize they don't have anyone left that we know of that will hold a candle to him. We make ourselves just as bulletproof as he is and end up with chance to run it all. We probably will win. That's what we do."

The Congressmen in the room all sat back and considered what one of their own was saying.

Haffley offered, "We can't give in too easily when we compromise."

Royce scoffed. "Of course not! We're the MAJORITY. But we can't be so locked in that things get plugged up. The moment that legislative approvals stop happening from gridlock, we send our best negotiators to the White House. We bring the Minority's negotiators with us. Because we're trying to make things work in the face of horrible opposition. And Hoynes stays home."

A voice which hadn't spoken piped up from the back. "I like it."

Everyone looked over and saw something which normally put fear into the hearts of Democrats when they saw it: A happily grinning Senator Arnold Vinick.

Royce nodded and said, "And I know just where to start."

Everyone looked back. "With what?"

"Remember that bill that Landis was working on before the last elections? That Chesapeake Bay thing?" Most nodded. "Let's get the closest Republican Representative to Chesapeake to bring it back out and take it to Lyman. Lyman wanted that bill – he loved that bill. Until Leadership on both sides started using it as political fodder. Let's give it to him as it was before it got sidetracked with only a little bit more given or taken and make him work to prevent the Minority Leadership from derailing it again. Besides – we're the Majority in both Houses now. We can quash spurious additions in committee ourselves."

Everyone in the room started grinning. "Let's do it," Haffley said. "We probably want to do something of a proclamation about Alexandria Bartlett."

"Like what?" one of the random Senators asked.

"The US Congress welcomes the return of one of America's First Daughters. In Joint Session, The US Congress congratulates the United States Secret Service and Zoey Patricia Bartlett for their outstanding work in righting a twenty-two year old wrong. Their efforts were in the best tradition of both Professionalism and competence and for Zoey, US Citizenship. The US Congress thanks the Navel Criminal Investigative Service for their help in cleaning up this tragedy turned miracle." Haffley paused. "We get someone to polish that up."

Everyone in the room laughed.