The Summer of our Son
CJ/Danny, West Wing ensemble
Very mature rating for frank sexual content; if you aren't old enough to be registered to vote in the US, please contact me for a PG version
Spoilers – through end of series
Not mine, never were, never will be, but they consume my soul
Feedback and criticism always welcomed
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August 2009 Manchester, NH
"Damn, damn, and double damn!" CJ walked around the motel room. The two-month old in her arms began to cry. "Oh, no, not you, Paddy," she crooned, "Mama's not mad at you. She's mad at herself and she's mad at your Daddy and she's mad at whatever is high atop Uncle Toby's thing, but she's not mad at you." She hoped the walking and crooning would quiet him; she really needed to wait to closer to the time to leave for the library to feed him.
It started out all too perfect. Glenallen Walken was flying on a Hollis Foundation jet from San Luis Obispo to Finland to talk with Nokia. The company had developed new satellite telephone equipment, technology, and infrastructure and offered to let "Road to a Better World" beta-test it on several of their road-building projects. On the way, he was going to stop in New Hampshire for the day of the dedication of the Josiah Edward Barlet Library. Would CJ, Danny, and Paddy like to fly with him? They would have to pay the foundation the equivalent of super-saver coach fares, but they would have all the advantages of a private jet.
The flight across country had been trouble-free. They left from the Van Nuys airfield at 4:00 in the morning. There was a small bedroom where CJ could nurse the baby and where the two of them could rest. In addition to themselves and Glen, there were two climatologists from McGill University on the plane and right now the plane was on its way to Montreal to return them to Canada. In addition to the two men, the plane was crossing into Canada with the garment bag that held Danny's good summer-weight suit and her summer dress suit with the three extra coordinated jackets (in case she sprang a leak.)
The garment bag that did make it off the plane held Danny's sport jacket, a coordinated pair of slacks, shirt, and tie, and a pantsuit for her, but she had put on the outfit too soon and it was milk-stained all down the left side of the jacket.
So here she was in Katie's hotel room, waiting for the nurse's aide that Abbey Bartlet had hired to watch Paddy during the dedication and waiting for Katie and Danny to come back with something that she could wear to the ceremony. Thank God for Katie letting them use her room today.
After the ceremony, they, along with several other Bartlet staffers, would spend two nights at the Bartlet farm. She and Danny were lucky; with their newborn, they would get a bedroom, as would Josh and ready to pop at any minute Donna. Many of the others would be in tents and in the barn. Actually, it they didn't have Paddy, it might be kind of fun for two nights, sleeping dormitory-style segregated by sex, finding little corners in out-buildings for couple stuff; it would be like "The Big Chill" with a lot more people.
Her cell rang and she juggled the now quiet baby into one arm in order to answer it. Ellie Bartlet Faison was on the line. Her mother had been called down to Boston for a cardiac emergency at Brigham and Women's Hospital; she would be back in time for the ceremony but in the meantime, there was a slight mix-up. The nurse's aide would meet them at the library. One of the private rooms had been set up for her. The nurse would be able to stay with the baby there until everyone went to the farm. CJ would be able to pump when she needed to and there was a portable electric ice chest. Aisling MacDonald had already arrived at the farm; she would drive down with them to Delaware in the behemoth Danny rented (CJ kept singing the Capitol Steps parody "God Bless my SUV" – "I'm proud to be an American, who gets just five em-pee-gee, I live alone, but this bus I own, can seat one hundred three.")
Danny was a little concerned about Aisling sharing a tent with the likes of Margaret, Carol, Zoey, and Debbie, but Erin had no worries. According to her, her younger daughter was much more mature than her older one, which is why she brought Fee with her in June. ("According to Robin's great-aunt Sorcha, Ash has an 'old soul' in a young body.") Last year, the MacDonald's had hosted an exchange student from Concord, and Aisling had been visiting with her and her family for a week. According to Ellie, they were very impressed with the whole secret service thing when they dropped off Ash this morning.
Two things had helped CJ, Danny, and the baby get through the first month without one or more of them ending up dead.
First of all - Erin. If it weren't for Erin, they probably wouldn't have survived that first month.
A fair piece of the first month after Paddy's birth was a blur to her. She was nursing him every two hours at first, and when she wasn't, she was mostly sleeping. Scott told Danny that there were only two other things he wanted her to do: Danny was to make her shower every morning right after one of the feedings and he was to make her take a walk around the neighborhood every early evening, starting with 10 minutes and working her way up to 25 or 30.
Erin kept herself on European time ("It will be easier for me, too, I won't have to adjust") and took care of bringing Paddy to CJ, changing him, doing some light housework and laundry for the midnight to morning shift. She told her "baby brother" that just because CJ couldn't get a full eight hours' sleep didn't mean he had to be on the same schedule and made him spend about six hours per night in one of the other bedrooms. He could spend time with his wife during her naps if he wished, but if he was going to be a productive part of "Team Paddy" as well as write his columns, he needed his rest as well.
The second thing that helped tremendously was the travel plans of the parish's teen club. The group was planning a trip to the next International Youth Conference with the pope and, for the entirely reasonable sum of $1,000 per couple, the young women would provide both the Concannons and the Muñoz' with in-home child care from noon to 8:00 pm, seven days a week, for ten weeks. This gave Erin time to sleep and Danny time to work.
She remembered when Father Niko explained the plans to them about two weeks before Diana was due. The young ladies would work out the schedules themselves. For the most part, there would be two four-hour shifts per day. The girls would be responsible for covering any emergency changes themselves, but she or Danny could always call him or Sandy, the youth minister, if there was a problem. The girls had received basic training from one of the parish nurses.
Danny wanted to make sure that the girls would not have friends, particularly boy friends, with them when they were on duty. He wanted nothing to distract them from taking care of CJ and Paddy.
The priest discussed the situation with him, using the somewhat stilted words of one who learned English as a second language. "But of course, Dan-nee, there will be no one when the girls are on duty. However, some of these young men are quite protective of their young women friends, and, especially in the case of those who will be leaving your home in the evening, may wish to escort them home. Would it be permissible for them to call for the young ladies at the end of their hours?"
CJ started laughing. "Hoist on your own petard, Fishboy," she said.
Danny flushed red and told the young priest that he had no objections to a guy wishing to see a girl home safely.
As it turned out, when the guys would come by to pick up the girls, they would end up talking with Danny. Often, he would be rocking, playing with, or even diapering his son and some of the young men, seeing him in a nurturing role, became interested themselves and asked Father Niko if they could be included in future training and future assignments.
Her time that month was not spent entirely on feeding her son and sleeping. She did bathe him periodically, change him, and rock him. And there were two special days those first few weeks.
On the morning of June 21, she finished the first feeding of the day and asked Danny to take Paddy. "Would you check his diaper, honey?"
Danny put his hand against his son's bottom and felt a peculiar lump in the diaper. Reaching inside, he found a hard round object wrapped in a soft cloth inside a Ziploc freezer bag. He opened it to find a vermeil pocket watch engraved with the date and the words
"Happy Father's Day, Daddy
Love, Paddy".
On the inside cover was a picture of the two of them, in profile, Danny's lips on his son's forehead. Hank had found it for her, taken care of the engraving.
His baptism took place on the Sunday of Independence Day weekend. Hogan was his godmother, Robin his godfather. After Father Niko lowered him up to his neck in the warm baptistery, poured the water over his head, and anointed him, CJ dressed him in the same lace robe worn by his cousins Fiona and Aisling.
After a month, the time between feedings had lengthened to two and a half hours. Also, she was able to pump enough milk to cover one feeding. This allowed her the utter luxury of sleeping for five hours once a day. CJ's sisters-in-law each came for two weeks and while they weren't on European time, Danny was also able to get six hours' sleep at one time.
Lupé told her to sleep in Danny's T-shirts and then have him wear them when he fed Paddy (he volunteered to take the 3:00 AM feeding.) After three weeks, the baby was used to Danny's smell and took the bottle from him as well as he took CJ's breast and now the time between feedings was almost three hours.
Katie and Danny returned from their mission.
"It's early August, it's technically mid-summer," Danny grumbled, "so why is every store filled with heavy clothes, woolen clothes, long sleeved things?"
Katie handed her a dress bag. "This is the best we could do for your size, CJ."
It wasn't a bad dress. It was a dark green cotton-linen blend with a slight flare to the skirt and the color looked okay on her. Her heels would match. When she tried it on, she had only the slightest little pooch in her stomach and that only from a certain angle. (She had only gained 30 pounds over the course of the pregnancy; 14 came off with Paddy and she'd lost another six over the past two months). She had two white cotton piqué bolero style jackets in case she leaked through the heavy-duty nursing bra she was wearing and which she would line with some super absorbent micro fiber pads. If only it were a two piece that opened down the front instead of a sleeveless sheath with a back zipper.
"I'll have to undress to feed him and I'll need help with the zipper."
"I'm sure you'll have plenty of volunteers among the womenfolk. We picked up this at the Wal-Mart," Danny handed her another bag. It contained a "housecoat" that had snaps down the front. It was a loud yellow and pink patterned thing, something she'd never pick out for herself, but it would help.
Katie was leaving for the press briefing; she told them to make sure the room was locked when they left.
Danny played with his son while CJ ironed the dress and touched up the shirt that Danny would be wearing. He would have looked so nice in the suit. But the dark slacks and grey sport coat did look good on him also; it was just a tad too casual for the event.
She fed Paddy while Danny showered (his smile and a twenty-dollar bill got them some extra sets of towels from the chambermaid), pumped the excess into the partially filled bottle in the portable plug-in cooler. She now had two full bottles. Paddy needed changing so she took care of him and then made sure that the things they would take into the library (his diaper bag complete with several changes of clothes, her portable hand pump, extra pads and an extra nursing bra, the sweaters) were in good order.
She showered, did her hair, dressed, and then while Danny was putting their things back in the SUV, she neatened up Katie's room as much as possible. Ellie called again; she and the nurse were at the library and a few people had already arrived. They could come any time.
When they got to the library, Ellie met them and took them to the room where the nurse's aide was waiting. After some introductions, Danny took Paddy outside on the grounds while CJ went over some details with the woman.
Stepping out onto the grounds, she looked for Danny and saw him with the Press Corps. He looked so proud, so happy; his face was glowing. She felt an arm around her shoulder.
"Why do they get so inordinately proud, as if they were the first guy to father a child?" Ginger asked. "Celia was Rick's fourth and he looked just like Danny looks."
CJ hugged the redhead, a new mother like herself. "Speaking of which, where is your little one?"
"She's with my mother-in-law at their place in Newport. The two younger kids are showing signs of new baby anxiety, afraid that I'll love my own baby more than them , and we decided we needed to give them some special family time. Plus, I'm not ashamed to admit it, I've had a little bit of post-partum depression and it is nice to have a small break."
"So far, I haven't had any issues, but when we get back, we'll have less help and I'll be going back to work, so it's in the back of my mind."
"Well, with the family money, I've got all the help I could want and I still had the blues. Anyway, let's change the subject. I'm so glad that so many people from the Bartlet administration had come up for the dedication. Look, there's Margaret with John Hoynes. I understand that there's a third guy in the picture, an Episcopalian priest who helped with the arrangements for Leo."
"When does she have time for her kid, Vinick, Hoynes, and Father New Guy and still run the West Wing?" CJ wondered.
"Well, Margaret always was very efficient."
"True that, I should know. Is Hoynes staying over?"
"If he is, it's not at the farm. They couldn't ask him, and not Russell."
Danny saw her, excused himself from the Press Corps and joined them. More and more people came up to them to see the baby.
Glen Walken let them know that their garment bag had been found on the plane and that he would arrange to have it delivered to the Bartlet farm when the plane returned to take him to Finland later in the day.
After 45 minutes, they took Paddy inside. She fed him one more time and left him sleeping with the nurse's aide.
In the main hall of the library, they came upon Toby, Will, Charlie, and Kate. She hadn't seen Kate since their wedding over two years ago and the two of them made plans to spend some time together over the next two days at the farm.
They heard the sound of someone walking with a cane and saw that President Bartlet was approaching them.
He came to her first. "How nice to see you, sir." He made some comment about how well she looked and they made some more small talk. He asked about getting a picture of Paddy. Danny said he'd try to find something.
As the President moved on to Toby, she teased her husband. "See if you can find something? How many pictures do you have on your laptop? How close is the nearest drug store or Kinko's?"
Charlie was about to start his last year of law school and had spent the summer interning with a law firm in Anchorage. Apparently, he hadn't seen the President since Josh and Donna's wedding either.
Speaking of Josh, he came running into the room to let them know that President Santos' motorcade was arriving. As they were going outside to greet him, Danny asked Josh about Donna. "She's in one of the backup limos with the medical staff."
"When CJ told me she would be here and we made our plans, I was surprised she would be allowed to fly."
"Well, the President's doctor would be on Air Force One and with Abbey and Ellie at the farm, her guy felt that she would be in good hands. Actually, the doctor is more concerned about us riding back with you and CJ the day after tomorrow instead of returning to Washington late tonight with the President. I told him I went to Mapquest and put the name and number of every hospital on the route on speed dial in my phone. Where's Abbey?"
CJ explained that the surgery took a little longer than expected, but that she was on her way. "I know that the President – President Bartlet – is disappointed but I'm sure that the man whose wife and baby were saved will be eternally grateful."
As they were standing on the steps waiting for the limo door to be opened, they heard and saw the helicopter that was bringing Mrs. Bartlet to the dedication.
The rest of the dedication ceremony went well. Liz was the mistress of ceremonies. Nancy McNally, Lord Marbury, Glen Walken, and President Santos all spoke before the actual ribbon cutting. Then Liz introduced her father. Jed's remarks were intelligent and funny, although both Toby and Will were muttering to themselves about simile and cadence. There were moving references to Leo, to Delores Landingham, and to Percy Fitzwallace.
Afterward, there was more mingling, but Abbey came to CJ and Danny and asked if they wanted to leave for the farm. She was going back to take care of some last minute "hostess" stuff and she thought they might want to get Paddy and themselves settled ahead of time. Josh and Donna would be coming early also.
When they got to the farm, Donna picked up CJ's left hand.
"Omagod, when did you get this glorious rock?" She admired the beautiful emerald-cut diamond and platinum ring nestled next to her wedding band.
"Danny gave me that when Paddy was born. I was totally surprised."
"Josh-u-a," Donna said, staring at him.
"Way to go, Concannon," Josh muttered under his breath.
"Just wait until you see what they go through, if you care at all, you'll want to buy out Tiffany's," Danny answered.
Since the last time CJ and Danny had been at the farm (the late winter before their marriage), the Bartlets had added an enormous master suite to the ground floor of the building. ("We spent a lot of money to make sure it didn't look out of place from the outside, but it's so much better for Jed not to have to deal with steps.") They admired the new room, with handcrafted furniture from local Amish farmers. The suite had been designed for the future, with extra wide doors to accommodate a wheelchair, a walk/roll in tub, and doors and windows with electronic switches.
Abbey outlined the sleeping arrangements. Because of Paddy, CJ and Danny would have the Bartlets' old bedroom and bath. ("It'd be like doing it in your parents' bed", Josh whispered to Danny) and Mallory, her husband and baby would use Liz' old room, which also had a private bath. Ellie's and Zoey's old rooms shared a Jack-and-Jill bath. Because of Donna's pregnancy, she and Josh had one of the bedrooms and "honeymooners" ("it's been less than a year") Bonnie and Jean-Luc would get the other.
The other menfolk got sleeping bags in the barn ("There's lots of hay, they'll be comfortable"). The ladies would be on Aerobeds, cots, and air mattresses in one of the big room-size tents ("like the ones in camp") that the Bartlets had rented and erected on the grounds. The second tent would hold the kids (Ginger's three stepkids, Gus, Larry's two kids, Margaret's toddler). Vic and Ellie, with their toddler, would be chaperoning in there.
The others started trickling in from the library. President Santos would be able to stay until 10:00 pm or so. (Helen Santos' mother was having surgery and she and the kids were back in Houston).
When they reached the farm, the group self-segregated by sex. There was an NFL pre-season game on TV, and, being deprived of the sport since the Pro Bowl in February, the men approached the big screen TV in the family room as if it were a burning bush in the desert. The women fed the kids, since the adults wouldn't be eating until the game was over, and settled down with drinks on the deck.
At half time, Danny looked around the room. The President, President Santos (he realized that he wasn't using the correct terms, but Jed Bartlet would always be "the President" for him), Josh, Toby, Ed, Larry, Will, and Charlie. Vic, Jean-Luc, and Ginger's husband were outside starting to get the various charcoal grills set up and started. Good; all the men he needed to see were in the room, but no "outsiders"; now was the perfect time. He ran up to the room he and CJ were using and came back down with a cardboard box.
He cleared his throat. "Uh, everyone, Leo's book (he always called it "Leo's book", not "my book") will be in general release next week, but I had these made up special."
He handed a book to Jed. The cover was dark blue, almost navy. The lettering was engraved into the leather and gilded in silver
"To Raise the Level of Debate: Leo Thomas McGarry"
by Daniel Michael Concannon
"Danny, this is beautiful!" Jed exclaimed, then noticing the additional line at the bottom of the front cover "Number 3 of 25", he asked,"Number 3?"
"Mallory has the first, and CJ the second," Danny answered.
The former president opened the book to the dedication page.
"To the men and women who fight alcohol and substance abuse in their daily lives: may they be encouraged by the example of Leo Thomas McGarry. May they continue to do so, day by day, and should they fall, may they, as he did, pick themselves up and start again.
"But first, last, and always, to Claudia Jean."
Underneath Danny had written, "For President Jed Bartlet, for whom he jumped off a cliff, admiration always, Danny".
He handed number 5 to Josh (Margaret would receive number 4). He had inscribed it "For Josh, who listened to an old friend of his father's".
"Mr. President." Matt took number 6 from Danny's hands and opened it ."For Matthew Vincente Santos, President of the United States, may this book help you to determine the advice he would have provided had he become your Vice-president."
"Thank you, Danny, I will treasure this."
Danny handed number 9 to Toby ("For Toby, who brought CJ into the campaign and into my life. Remember that Leo kept you and dismissed the others.") and number 11 to Charlie ("If you always ask yourself 'What Would Leo Do?', you will never go wrong"). Number 10 was being FedEx'd to Sam ("Never lose the idealism he instilled in you"), who was holding down the fort in Sacramento (Tillman and several other members of the Governors' Conference were on a fact-finding tour in Southeast Asia). He also had inscribed copies for Ed (Number 15), Larry (16), and Will (17).
The men admired the books, thanked Danny, and asked him about the other copies. Danny explained that he had sent numbers 7 and 8 to Leo's sisters Josie and Elizabeth; told them that number 12 would be sent to Nancy McNally , number 13 to Laura Gail Fitzwallace in memory of her husband. (In fact, she had approached him about authoring Fitz' biography and his agent would be negotiating with the publisher next week) and that Kate Harper would be getting number 14. There were also copies reserved for Bonnie, Carol, Donna, Ginger, and Lord Marbury.
"Plus a few extra because I'm sure I've forgotten somebody," Danny laughed, "just like they do at the Emmys."
After the game, the men joined the women for drinks and appetizers. Steaks were cooked on the grills, served with salad and garlic bread.
CJ heard Paddy crying through the baby monitor and left to feed him. When she returned, the conversation had turned to the upcoming election.
"I can't believe that Ritchie is the Republican front-runner again," Danny said. "He can't even play the 'everyday guy' versus 'nerd' card again. No offense to either of you", nodding to both Jed and Matt.
"None taken," Matt Santos said.
"Gus, go short-sheet Danny and CJ's bed," Jed joked. "I'm surprised Haffley isn't running."
"He's going to wait for the next one," Josh said. "He knows he can't beat us this time. Anyway, we could use a media director and a speech writer." He looked at Danny and CJ.
"Thanks but no thanks," CJ laughed. "I'll have enough on my hands with 'Road to a Better World'. You'd think that everyone would see the advantages, but we're getting some flack from some sides that we are upsetting the culture of some of the tribes by modernizing and shaking up the economy. And then there are the ultra-environmentalists who say we're going to 'Pave paradise and put up a parking lot'. I mean, we went to great lengths to set up advisory committees to weigh all these options; experts in all fields have weighed in and agreed with the routes and the plans."
"Well, I for one think that it's a marvelous feat," Matt said. Then he looked at his watch. "But I had best get back to DC. Breakfast with the Spanish Ambassador tomorrow bright and early." He turned to Abbey and Jed. "Thank you for including me. Evenings like this are few and far between, as I'm sure you know."
As the President was leaving, Paddy started crying again.
"Bring him down, CJ," Abbey said.
The younger kids were catching fireflies. Aisling was talking with Annie and Zoey. She seemed to fit in well, CJ thought, and she knew that between Ash and Hogan, the time at the beach would be enjoyable for Danny and her. And hopefully, a good time for the girls, too. She had to be sure that they had enough time to enjoy the beach, the shops, the handsome lifeguards, things like that.
At 11:30, CJ declared herself dead to the world, and, claiming Paddy from Debbie's arms, said her goodnights. Danny told her he would be up in a few minutes and then, touching his niece on the shoulder, walked with her to the far side of the room.
By the time he entered the room they were using, CJ was sitting on the overstuffed loveseat feeding Paddy. She switched sides and smiled up at him.
He thought she always looked beautiful when she was nursing his son, but he had to admit that Jed Bartlet was right earlier today when he talked about how wonderful she looked. The past month, she wasn't sleeping all the time and she spent several hours each day in the courtyard or on the deck. There was some natural sun-streaking in her hair and her skin was all golden and glowing, especially in the white cotton gown she was wearing this evening. He could see weariness in her eyes, but they were sparkling and her smile encompassed her whole face.
Paddy let go of her and she started burping him. "Your son was greedy tonight, he just about drained both sides," she told him.
He reached down, kissed her, put his hand on his son's rear end. "Must be the mountain air. And he needs changing. I'll finish this, and take care of the rest." He took the baby from her and finished the burping process while she went over to the table where she had set up the electronic bump ("the big sucking system") and removed what Paddy didn't. She asked him what kept him downstairs so long.
"I just wanted to go over some ground rules with Aisling about tonight, in the 'Pavilion of Women' (as the group had started referring to the women's tent). I'm sure there will be a lot of drinking and stuff. I don't know why she couldn't sleep in the kids' tent," he grumbled.
"Because she's a good 5 and one-half years' older than the oldest kid in that tent. She won't get in any trouble. That's why Erin and Robin let her come over here on her own. She's not like Fee."
Fiona had been a bit of a handful back in June. On the one hand, she cheerfully took over the housework and the laundry and helped with Paddy. Cindy and Carmen idolized her and she was very good with them. Jessica and Diana sent her silent "thank you's" when she steered the pre-teens away from too much makeup ("You girls are lucky with your tans and your coloring. You look much better with just tinted lip-gloss, maybe a little Vaseline on your eyelids, and just a thin bit of eyeliner on top, don't do the bottom lids. Here, try just a hint of this blush I use. My skin just won't tan and with my black hair, if I use those bright and dark colors, I look like a street-walker and no girl wants to look like that"). However, she also managed to attract a lot of boys and just about every evening, she was jumping into someone's car or on someone's motorcycle, not letting anyone know with whom she was or where she was going. Then there was the skinny-dipping party she instigated with the oldest son of Ken and Laura Robbins, who lived across the street next to the Wei's, at the Robbins pool. Some of the kids were underage. Danny was furious, telling her that as an 18 year-old, she was considered an adult and could get in serious trouble; as an alien on a tourist visa, she could affect her future ability to visit the US. CJ hoped he never got that angry at her.
"Ash told me she wouldn't drink anything, since it was illegal here, but then she reminded me that Robin's great-uncle Angus was already training her to take part in running the family distilling operation, that he thought she had a great nose, and that she was probably a more responsible drinker than some of the other women in the tent. Is Paddy going to be as much to deal with?"
"You probably won't think so, but I might. I think it's a cross-sexual thing. I'll be upset when I find condoms in his jeans and then I'll find out you helped him figure out which ones to buy, and told him how to put them on."
She was in the bathroom cleaning up and he had just finished changing the baby when there was a knock on the door. "Danny, are you decent?" Abbey's voice came through the wood.
At his "No, but I'm clothed," the former First Lady and her middle daughter entered. "Just give us the boy and no one gets hurt," she said in her best gangster voice.
Ellie picked up a bag and started gathering up diapers, clothes, lotions, ointments, and baby wipes. Then she went to the plugged-in cooler, opened it, and took out the two full bottles of breast milk that were inside. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she collapsed the bassinet and, carrying it, moved toward the door.
Abbey looked around the room, saw the blouse that CJ had been wearing earlier that evening, and grabbed it. "Danny, take off your T-shirt, give it to me," she ordered. He did as instructed, his mouth open at what was happening.
As he complied, CJ came out of the bathroom. "Abbey, what's going on?"
The first lady looked at Danny "Hmm, not bad for a guy your age," she said. Then she picked up Paddy. "Jed and I are kidnapping our honorary grandson for the evening. If the two of you play nice, you'll get him back in the morning."
First-time motherhood anxiety and doubt flared up on CJ's face. "Abbey, I'm not sure that's such –".
"CJ, I've had three children and three other grandchildren, and I'm a doctor; it will be fine." She carried the boy to Danny. "Kiss Daddy goodnight". Then she went over to CJ. "Now your mother." She pulled away from CJ before she could grab for her son. Then she and Ellie walked out of the room. Before she could close the door, Danny said softly, "Abbey, thank you." Abbey smiled at them and headed down the hall to the stairs.
CJ and Danny looked at each other.
"Six hours to ourselves; I'm not sure I remember what to do, it's been so long," she laughed a little self-consciously.
He crossed over to her, kissed her lightly. "I do." He picked up a pair of black watch cotton plaid drawstring pajama pants from the suitcase and went into the bathroom.
When he returned, she was on the window seat. Through the open window, they could hear the muted laughter coming from the women's tent, the late summer sounds of crickets, katydids, and tree frogs. Will and Charlie were carrying what appeared to be two cases of beer and some chips to the barn where the guys were sleeping and there was louder laughter coming from it.
"Looks like you're missing the bull session," she said.
"I'll live."
He pulled her to the love seat and tried to get her on his lap. She ended up with her legs on the cushion beside him, facing him, up against his chest. He held her with his left arm around her shoulders. She put her arms around his neck and played with the curls at his nape. He ran the fingers of his right hand down the side of her arm, back up to her shoulder, down her spine to her rear end, where he started making light circles with his fingers. Sometimes, he spread out his hand and then gathered his fingers up toward each other, as if he were picking up the nightgown from her body.
It wasn't until last October, when they were back at South Bend for another football weekend, that he found out that her butt was an erogenous zone for her. During their time in San Diego, the night that she teased him into reenacting the spanking scene in one of the "trashy" novels Carol and Margaret had given her, he told her afterward about the girl Tim dated for a few months their junior year. She started out wanting a "bad little school girl" fantasy, and Tim had told him that the first two or three times, taking her across his lap and smacking her butt was a turn on, but when she started wanting "harder" and "longer" and "use your belt", Tim just couldn't do it; it went against something deep inside him. Just hearing about it from Tim made Danny upset. They had heard a few years ago that the girl had become a hooker and had been murdered by her pimp.
Anyway, when he told CJ about it, she had put her fingers to her lips, said she understood, and if they ever did "do what's in the book" again, they would skip those scenes. Apparently, it also made her leery of telling him that she liked being caressed there, but finally was able to let him know last fall. It was amazing that they were still learning about each other after almost three years. With any luck, they would continue to do so for the rest of their lives together.
He kissed her hair and she planted little kisses on his chest. He continued to trail his fingers on her posterior and she continued to play with his hair. Then he asked her if she knew that the swats he sometimes gave her were in jest. She reaffirmed that she did and asked him what brought that on at this time. He told her that he was about to walk in the kitchen earlier today when Charlie took one at Zoey and she got real upset and told him never to do it again; it shook him and he just needed to make sure that the two of them were on the same page.
"Really?" CJ asked. "Maybe it has something to do with the kidnapping, or she just doesn't take after her mother."
"You can not make a statement like that and not elaborate!"
"Danny, this is so-o-o off the record."
"Honey, I'm not a reporter anymore."
"You know what I mean."
"Okay, just between you and me."
She told him about the events before the debate with Rob Ritchie.
"Jed smacked Abbey's butt in public and she didn't go ballistic?"
"Actually, I think she ah, she 'enjoyed' it."
"Enjoyed as in ?"
CJ smiled and nodded her head.
"One smack and she-?"
"Well, they spent a few minutes alone and when they came out, in addition to his tie being cut, his hair was mussed and her skirt was a little twisted and her lipstick was smeared, so she was probably, um, 'ready' to 'enjoy', and it wasn't like a volcano 'enjoy' look, more like an ocean wave 'enjoy' look."
He smiled at her. "And how about you when I do that? Do you ever 'enjoy'"?
He couldn't see it in the semi-darkness, but he could feel the heat of her blush. She focused her gaze on his chest. "
Well, it kind of sets off a vibration from back to front and it kind of makes me 'want' to 'enjoy', to want the other things you –".
"And this," he whispered, making more circles on her backside, "does this make you 'want'"?
She raised her eyes to his, nodded her head up and down, and reached up to kiss him. He trailed his hand down her leg to the hem of her gown, and then trailed it up underneath to touch her.
"What about this?"
Her gasp into his mouth, the tightening of her arms around his neck, and the way her legs fell open, exposing more of herself to his touch told him what he needed to know, and his heart expanded.
They had read the books; they had listened to her doctor. They were aware that her libido could be affected by post-partum hormones, and by nursing. They knew that this year's experience could be different from last year's. But knowing intellectually was a one thing; the reality of her decreased libido and his heightened one in reaction to the two months of no contact and to watching her nurse his son was quite another.
She took it in much better stride than he did. Once Scott gave them the okay, she responded willingly and lovingly to his advances. "Just don't expect me to reenact page 243 of the 'Kama Sutra'," she joked. She told him she felt good afterward and he was sure she did.
But she hadn't yet initiated anything and she hadn't yet, in her words, 'enjoyed' it.
In the two plus years since she had come to him the day after Leo McGarry died, their sex life had consisted of the normal ups and downs most couples experienced. There had been a couple more incidents like the one the morning of the day she turned down Matt Santos' request for her service. Not all of her experiences ended with fireworks, the "1812 Overture", and the "Halleluiah Chorus", and, truth be told, neither did all of his. There were times when, at the start, only one of them was desirous. But in those times, he could always rouse her or she could always rouse him; the mere fact that one of them was needy was aphrodisiac to the other.
He was having a hard time dealing with the fact that, in these weeks after childbirth, he could not rouse her to want him as he wanted her. He felt guilt, he felt shame, and he felt as if he was using her, even though she welcomed him with her body, with her hands, with her mouth, even though she welcomed his hands and mouth on her, his body inside her.
And so he began to try to sublimate his desire, to not reach for her every time the need came upon him.
About a week ago, on a morning after such a sublimation, he was showering when his desire came back with a vengeance. He shook with his need, and then, for the first time in almost five years, took himself in his hand.
The shower door opened and he heard her gasp his name, then a sob as she ran out of the bathroom.
He swore to himself, got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist (and his now deflated non-need), and found her crying on the chair in the bedroom.
He knelt at her feet, tried to pull her hands into his. "Jeanie, sweetheart, I – ".
She looked at him. "Danny, how could you want to do that when I'm here for you? I mean, I know I still have 10 pounds or so to take off, but I'm trying and I love you and –".
He kissed her hands and tried to explain how he felt he was using her and how guilty he felt about it.
"I'm your wife! I promised my body to you before God, our families and friends! I am giving myself to you! You are not using me – you've never done 'slam, bam, thank you ma'am'. You've always been loving and caring and I've always felt good with you, before, during, and after. And that hasn't changed these last few weeks. My body may not be ready for rockets, but it's not as if I 'close my eyes and think of England' or 'pray a decade of the beads' or make a mental grocery list. Oh, Danny," she sobbed, "back in my 20's I faked it sometimes, but I never thought I'd have to think about faking it with you. We're supposed to be in this together, whatever comes – or not," she laughed slightly through the tears.
All he could do was continue to kiss her hands and tell her how sorry he was for everything. Then the baby cried and Paddy's needs became paramount.
For the next few days, they had tiptoed around each other, genuinely affectionate but hesitant; and he had wrestled with his feelings. He didn't have anyone to talk with; Hank and Steve would be of no help and he wasn't that close yet with Frank Muñoz. Robin was on an exchange training session with Aeroflot and was flying in an endless circle around Russian airfields, like Charlie on the MTA in the old Kingston Trio song. He had thought about broaching the subject with Jed. However, the man thought of CJ as a surrogate daughter and, as the kids said – eyheeww! He had problems thinking about Fee as a sexual being (although her month over here left no doubt) and could only imagine what it would be like to have someone want to discuss one's daughter's sex life with you.
In desperation, he went to confession, first making sure that it would be Fr. Luke and not the young Italian for whom English was not the native language.
"I want to say that your wife is right and you should be turning to her, but your concern about using her is admirable, if maybe misplaced," the priest said. "This is just a suggestion, not a condition of absolution, but the guy over at St. Theophanes, Sean Varney, is later-in-lifer, a widower with three grown kids. He might have more experience-based advice for you. Now make an act of contrition.."
With this trip on the near horizon, he didn't have time to seek out the second-career priest before they left. But now, they were making out on this couch, like horny teenagers in her parents' living room, and this time was different; she was responding, she was aroused. He then thought of exactly where they were and realized that it was a little too close to home. Do NOT go there, he told himself, he did not need to think about in whose bed he intended to take her. Instead he concentrated on the task at hand, watching her face as he took her over the edge, knowing as surely as he knew his own name that she would never fake this with him. When she quieted down, he got up and pulled her to the bed and they began again.
Afterward, they were lying there facing each other. By this time, the full moon had reached its height and its light silvered the room and the two of them.
"Hi," he said, stroking her hair.
"Hi yourself," she replied, running her fingers around his nipples.
"You're back," he smiled.
Her face became serious. "We don't know that for sure; we'll have to deal with what comes over the next few weeks and months." Then she smiled. "So I may not be back tomorrow, but I am back now." She lowered her hand to his groin and began to stroke him.
He responded instantaneously to her touch. This time, when they were ready, he grabbed a pillow and turned her to her stomach. Kissing her neck and whispering his love for her, he covered her in the way she liked; afterward, they drifted into sleep in the sea of their love.
She woke a little after 4:00. Her breasts were full, but if all had gone well, Abbey would not be bringing Paddy to her until almost 6:00. She got out of bed quietly, not bothering with her gown or a robe, found her hand pump, went into the bathroom, and expressed enough to relieve the pressure. Returning to the bedroom, she put the bottle in the cooler, and went to stand by the window.
The moon had almost set and she could see all the stars in the midnight blue velvet of the sky. She had not seen a sky like this, untouched by manmade light, since their time in Tassajara a year ago. She wondered why this night, she hadn't worried about her baby. Before, when Erin, when her sister-in-law, when Diana, Jessica or Yan, when one of the girls from the teen club was with Paddy, she always had him and his well-being in the back of her mind. The only person she trusted with her son was his father. Until this evening, when Abbey Bartlet came bounding into the room, taking charge, like the mother hen she could often be.
Maybe that was it. Erin was only a few years older than she was. Diana, for all her experience, was ten years younger; Jessica and Yan younger still. Maybe, as a new mother, she subconsciously missed the advice and support of her own mother, and Abbey was the one person who most closely fit that role in her life. He's beautiful, Mom, she thought to herself, I hope you know how lucky I am, how happy I am, with Danny and now with Paddy. You, too, Daddy. I hope you get to meet the both of them someday in heaven.
She felt his arms come around her, felt his breathe on her cheek, felt his contented flaccidness against her backside. They stood there together, taking in the sounds of near morning. His hands moved lightly over her breasts, one of them wiping away a stray drop of milk.
He had just said something about coming back to bed when a movement outside caught their eye. Two people coming from the woods toward the main house. Charlie and Zoey walked toward the women's tent. When he drew her into his arms, she raised her left arm and grasped the back of his neck with her left hand. A glimmer flashed off that hand. The waning moonlight had caught what was most likely a diamond ring newly placed on her finger.
As Zoey entered the tent and Charlie turned toward the barn, CJ could feel Danny growing against her. He turned her around to face him, then rotating the both of them; he sat down on the window seat. Carefully, he helped her lower herself onto his erection, then, holding her close, he lightly kissed around the tops of her breasts, trying to not set off any leakage.
They rocked back and forth a few times, then, one arm around her waist and the other on the table beside the window for leverage, he stood up. "Can you get your legs around me?" he asked.
"You want to try this?" she giggled.
"Well, if we fall and break our tailbones, there are two doctors on the premises."
She got her legs up and he moved his arm from the table to under her butt.
When they hit the bed, there was a slight shaking and they held their breath. "We almost won the 'Matt and Helen Santos Democrats Have More Fun Award',CJ," he said, and put his hand over her mouth as she began to laugh out loud. The early morning breeze was cool and they pulled the covers up over them before returning to more pleasant things.
Afterward, she figured she had about an hour, tops, but an hour is an hour, and over the past two months, she had learned to grab sleep whenever she could get it.
The sun was bright in the window when they woke up to knocking. "Aunt CJ, Uncle Danny, are you awake? I have Paddy with me." Aisling's cheery voice with its light Irish accent came through the door.
"And I have some coffee and tea," added a younger male voice.
Danny got out of bed, pulled on his pajama bottoms and a robe while CJ pulled the covers up to her neck.
He opened the door to Ginger's oldest stepson, a 10 year-old with the good looks and good manners that resulted from the almost three centuries of prep school training imbedded in his DNA. "Good morning, Mr. Concannon, would you like me to set this inside for you or would you prefer to take it?"
Danny took the tray, thanked the young man. "Then I shall see you later, perhaps for the softball game." The boy smiled, walked away.
Aisling brought the baby to CJ, who managed to sit up, kiss her son, and put him to her breast without baring anything other than her arms and shoulders. "What time is it? It seems late."
"It's about 8:45," her niece by marriage answered. "Mrs. Bartlet said that he took a bottle at 2:30 and the other one at 5:30; she had no problems with him. Aside from the kids, she and the President, Ellie and Vic, Dr. and Dr. Faison," she corrected herself under Danny's stare, "and I are the only ones up yet."
Some groans came from outside the window and she looked outside. "It looks like Wi – Mr. Bailey and Mr. Ziegler are up and here comes Zoey and Ms. Hooper." Aisling felt that sometimes her uncle was a little too old-fashioned. Yesterday afternoon, he took her aside and requested that she call all the adults, except Zoey and Charlie, by their titles, even though most of the younger ones kept telling her to call them by their first names. She could understand the President and Mrs. Bartlet – her parents' training would have engrained that in her, and most of the others were near enough in age to her aunt and uncle that it would have come naturally, but Ellie and Vic weren't that much older than Zoey and Charlie. But she loved her uncle very much, and it that's what it took to make him happy, so be it. At least Aunt CJ had talked him out of making her sleep in the kids' tent. If she didn't upset him now, she might get a little more freedom at the beach. She was not going to act like Fee, but if a cute boy wanted to take her for pizza and a walk on the boardwalk some night, she'd like to be able to go.
"Mrs. Bartlet said that breakfast is free-form, and she wants you to bring down your laptop with the pictures, Uncle Danny. Oh, she said to remind you that some of the others will be coming up to use your bathroom, so you might want to, and I quote, destroy evidence of foul or fun play, hide the silver, that sort of thing."
She smiled at CJ, kissed her uncle, and left the room.
He showered, got dressed while CJ finished feeding Paddy. Then he made the bed and neatened the room while she bathed. With the window opened, you could barely smell the scent of lovemaking, not that he gave a damn what anyone else thought or knew.
When she came out of the bath, she packed a small bag with some things for Paddy, put him in the cradle carrier. He grabbed the bag and his laptop, she had the baby, and they went downstairs.
Since an event isn't official without a commemorative T-shirt, Abbey handed everyone a black shirt with "Josiah Bartlet Presidential Library Dedication" and the date printed on the back with "What's next?" printed on the front where a designer logo would usually be. "With black, the stains from the clambake tonight won't be as noticeable," she laughed.
Breakfast occurred over the next hour and a half as people came into the big country kitchen, ate scrambled eggs (Abbey wasn't a short order cook), ham, toast, bagels, cereal, and danish. With four bathrooms(guys in the Bartlets, gals in the Jack-and-Jill bath and the Concannon's, the kids in Mallory's) everyone eventually got decent, or at least clean and presentable.
There were lots of kisses for Zoey, kisses and high-fives for Charlie, and one embarrassing moment when Ginger's 6 year-old stepdaughter asked, "Miss Zoey, if you didn't have the ring when you went to bed last night and Ms. Hooper said you had it when you woke up this morning, did Mr. Charlie have the tooth fairy put it under your pillow?"
Seeing the President's look at his youngest daughter and his future son-in-law, Aisling had a good idea where her uncle learned how to stare.
After breakfast, Danny opened up his "Paddy" folder on the laptop and everyone looked at the slide show as Abbey picked out the ones she wanted (she took one of the three of them from his baptism and one of Paddy smiling like a mini-Buddha) and he copied them to a picture card. Other people made requests and he made a running tally of how many prints her needed from each shot.
All the ladies sighed over the picture of Steve, his white bathing trunks in contrast to his bronzed copper skin, holding Paddy ("Sorry girls, he'd be more interested in the guys sleeping in the barn than any of you").
"And who is this?" Carol asked when a picture of Paddy and Maggie Muñoz lying together in a bassinet popped up on the screen.
CJ explained that Maggie lived two doors up and was about a month older than Paddy.
"It's really amazing," she said, "if one or both of them is fussy, we can put them together, and they just quiet down as if they were drugged. Works better than a bottle, than a pacifier. The only thing that works better is changing a wet or dirty diaper; they won't tolerate that even in each other's company."
Danny chimed in. "Frank and I are trying to convince Diana and CJ that we should alternate nights taking care of both babies, both sets of parents have an easier night, and we get alternate time for grownup fun."
He heard a low-throated laugh and saw his niece smiling at him with that strange old smile she sometimes had. "Aisling Ciara MacDonald, what is so funny?"
"Nothing, Uncle Danny, nothing."
"Okay, I'm heading to the drugstore to get these printed; anybody need anything?"
Abbey had a list of last-minute things for the clambake that evening and other people wanted stuff. He commandeered Zoey and Charlie to go with him.
After breakfast, they self-segregated by sex again, the men going off to help with a fence line and the women on (what else?) kitchen clean up. Then the women sat outside on the deck and watched the men try to stake out the new fencing.
CJ was drinking juice, rocking Paddy in his cradle carrier with her foot.
"So Danny starts working on his PhD this fall?" Ellie asked. "Will he still be teaching, writing the columns, and doing books?"
"Yes to all four," CJ answered. "He has two classes and moderates the student newspaper at West LA Community College. The column is still every other week. Right now, he isn't really working on a book, Leo's is out next week and the one with the Prince of Wales comes out in London next month. Of course, he'll more than likely be doing Fitz' story next. He seems to be getting quite a reputation for political biography." She glowed; she was really proud of her husband.
"Did he feel bad about not getting the Pulitzer?" Bonnie asked.
"No, he says that Katie deserved it. Besides, he has two."
"Well, maybe he'll get one for 'To Raise the Level of Debate' next year," Carol said.
"From your lips to God's ear," Margaret added, kissing the skinned knee her toddler presented.
Abbey joined the group. "CJ, when are you going to get your PhD?"
"Me? In what?"
"Well, anything you want. From what you've told us, 'Road to a Better World' requires input from the fields of anthropology, business administration, civil engineering, electrical engineering, geography, geology, information management, political science, religious studies, sociology, God knows what else. You could probably devise a completely new program of study and be the first person to get the degree in it. You really should think about it."
"Maybe when he's in school, I can start thinking about it. And Abbey, thank you for last night." She gave the other woman a direct look.
"It was our pleasure. We'll do it again tonight."
CJ demurred but the former First Lady refused to take no for an answer. "Well, I'll check with Danny."
Paddy started to cry. "Feeding time," CJ said, picking up the baby and heading inside. She was a little shy about nursing in front of so many people.
"Would you like some company?" Donna asked, struggling out of her chair.
"Sure."
They settled themselves in the living room.
"So, any day now?" CJ asked.
"Part of me can't wait to be not pregnant and part of me is scared to death. CJ, is it what you expected?"
"It's everything and more. Everything you've heard, everything you've read, nothing really prepares you for having this little part of you and him, this life you made, actually here. He's a constant, he's always there, everything is about him. Feeding him, bathing him, holding him. He's so helpless, he needs someone all the time. I mean, I'm luckier than most, I had Erin and then my sisters-in-law, plus the girls from the teen club, plus Danny at home, and I'm not quite sure how I made it through these past two months. This next month, I'll have the help after school, but I'm not sure how we'll make it through the day and the night by ourselves. Danny says we'll do what we have to do, hire a nanny if necessary, but I'm still a little apprehensive. And then, when I'm back at work, even though I can do a lot from home, that's another demand on my time."
"Do you like nursing?"
She smiled at Donna."Yeah, I do. I mean, it was strange at first and the mess, the leaking, and the scheduling can be a pain. And the first month, when he was feeding every other hour, it seemed that all I did was nurse and sleep. But I feel something so special when we're like this."
"Mess?"
"The spraying and the leaking, it can happen at any time. In the middle of church, in the middle of the supermarket, in the middle of sex." She blushed.
Donna looked down, not able to meet CJ's eyes. "I've heard that some men like to – "
"So did I; it's never come up with us. It just doesn't seem like something Danny'd want."
"I don't know if I'd be able to do it, I mean after my leave. There are times when I think I'm busier than Josh."
"Well, you can try it and if you have to stop, you have to stop. I don't think it's necessarily the be all and end all. Andy didn't nurse and Huck and Molly seem to be okay. And Ginger isn't. Now, as wrapped up in the other kids, I would have thought she would have wanted to, so it just goes to show," CJ said.
"She told me she couldn't. Apparently, Ginger was wa-aa-ay too over endowed and had to have breast reduction surgery when she was just out of high school. It affected her ability to nurse."
When they went back outside, the softball game was underway. "Team Charlie" (Danny, Larry, Will, Ginger's husband, Debbie, Anne Weston, Ellie, Bonnie, Mallory, and Ginger's oldest stepson) was leading "Team Josh" (Toby, Ed, Vic, Jean-Luc, Mallory's husband, Margaret, Aisling, Ellie, Carol, and Gus) by four runs. In the end, "Team Charlie" won by one run.
After a light lunch, people rested until the bus came to take everyone to the beach for a traditional New England clambake.
At the beach, they entertained themselves while the clambake finished steaming. Some folks waded in the surf, some hiked along the shore. And of course, there was a game of volleyball.
Jed, Danny, and Josh were sitting by a picnic table drinking beer.
"So I understand you're going for a PhD, Danny," Jed said.
"Yes, I got accepted at USC for a joint program with the Annenberg School of Journalism and the English Department."
"Geez, Danny, you're writing a column, you're co-authoring books out the whazoo, you're teaching classes, where are you going to find the time and why are you bothering?" Josh asked.
He looked over to where CJ had Paddy on a blanket under an umbrella. Kate was on the blanket with them and Donna was sitting in a sturdy beach chair. CJ and Kate were taking turns tickling Paddy's tummy with their hair.
"I just want us to have more options in the future," he said. "We've just gotten to the point where CJ isn't spending all her time sleeping and nursing, where she can enjoy being a mother, and she has to go back to work in a few weeks. Everything this summer has revolved around him. I know she wants to see the project well on its way, and she can tailor her hours, but if she wanted to take more time, I would have liked to have made it possible. I could have taken an editorial position with the LA Times last year. It wasn't until I saw her with him that I realized what being a parent could do to you, that she might have wanted to cut back on outside stuff. Like I said, everything we do is for him or affected by him. And I'm so happy I can't stand it."
"And you can't have these options now? Your books always hit the top of the charts and every newspaper in the country that's left of Hitler wants your column."
"The money's not the problem. Between the columns, the books, and the part-time teaching, I could handle everything except the health insurance. I mean, the Annenberg School would take me as an adjunct professor right now, but without benefits. You guys really need to do something about the healthcare and childcare situation in this country. I mean, CJ and I are lucky, we had family to help out, we can afford to bring in help, I'm working from home a lot of the time, CJ had 3 months' fully paid leave, and she can work from home a lot when she does go back. It's those that don't have family to help, that can't afford to hire someone, that don't get the paid leave that I worry about. And the cost: I saw the insurance statements about what the gross charges were; a year's worth of royalties would have barely covered them. It's just unbelievable! Having access to good medical care, especially for birthing a baby, is too important to depend on your job."
"You'll get no argument from me," Josh said. "But back to you. Getting a PhD part-time is going to take some time. By the time you're done, Paddy'll be ready for kindergarten and you wouldn't need someone at home all the time."
"Well, just between the three of us, in two years or so, we're going to try again. Or try to adopt. Anyway, if CJ wanted to do the whole soccer mom bit, I'd like her to have the chance. She'd be good at it; but then I think she'd be good at anything."
Abbey announced that the clambake was ready and soon they were all around the pit (keeping the kids at a safe distance) as the tarp was lifted, the seaweed taken off, and the lobsters, clams, chickens, corn and potatoes taken out and enjoyed by all. Utensils were provided but most of them ate with their hands.
They were just getting ready to return to the farm when Josh's pager went off and the Secret Service agents hustled Jed into a Suburban and took off.
Josh called into the White House as the rest of them stood by the bus, wondering what in the world was happening.
Josh got off his cell."There was a terrorist attack in Singapore. The fact-finding group – 15 governors, their aides, their families – we don't have much information yet but I need to get back to Washington ASAP."
The sound of a helicopter filled the air. Another agent came up to him. "Mr.Lyman, you need to take this chopper to Logan; you have priority seating on every flight until you get there."
"My wife? Donna?" he reached for her and she came to his side.
Danny stepped over to Josh, put his arm on the man's shoulder. "We'll get her to Washington, Josh. It'll be safer. Go, the President needs you."
The bus ride back to the farm was mostly quiet, some low conversation. Paddy fussed a little. The other kids sensed that their parents were concerned and held onto them.
Back at the farm, Jed and Abbey told them that all 15 governors and some of their aides were killed in the attack. The spouses that had accompanied them had been on an excursion at the time and had managed to get to the Embassy.
"Governor Tillman was on that trip. That means that Sam is now governor of California," Danny said, sitting down.
The rest of them slowly took in the fact. They knew many of the men and women who had lost their lives today and knew that the state governments of 15 states would be in flux for some time. Most of them went off, some to put the kids to bed, some outside to sit, some to the tent or the barn. CJ had fed Paddy on the bus, so Aisling took him upstairs, said she would stay with him for a while. Jed, Abbey, Donna, CJ and Danny remained in the family room.
Jed spoke up."I'd like to call Sam, give him our support."
"I've got his personal phone number." CJ pulled out her cell and punched a code. "This is Claudia Cregg Concannon. I'm calling for President Bartlet. Is Governor Seaborn available for him?" After a minute or so. "Sam, this is CJ. Just a sec". She handed her phone to Jed.
"Sam, I can only imagine what you and the rest of the state must be dealing with right now. I just wanted to let you know that anything you need from me you have." Pause. "I think that's an excellent decision under the circumstances. Do you have any ideas for the seat?" Pause. "I don't know, is there a second choice?" Pause. "Okay, again, you have our thoughts and our prayers." He handed the phone back to CJ. "Sam wants to talk with you."
"It's me," she said into the phone. "I agree, an excellent decision." Pause. "I appreciate the honor but I can't." Pause. "No, I don't need to talk about it with Danny, it's not for me." I understand; do you have anyone else in mind?" She'd be great. "Listen, we're all behind you, you know that. Here's Donna."
"What don't you need to talk with me about?" Danny quietly asked his wife. He wasn't sure what it was he was feeling, but rarely did either of them make a unilateral decision any more.
"Sam is nominating Barbara Fong as Lieutenant Governor," she answered, mentioning California's senior US senator. "He feels he needs to have someone for whom the state voted as his second in command in order to keep the legislature focused."
"It's a good choice," Donna added. "She won her last senatorial race with something like 105 percent of the vote, didn't she?"
"Eighty-six," CJ answered. "He wanted me to serve out her term. She's up next year. That's what I told him I couldn't do. I didn't think you'd mind," she smiled, walked over to him and put her arms around his neck. "Between the foundation, Paddy, and you, I have enough on my plate. He was pretty sure I'd say no, 'cause he already had Sarita Hollis in mind as a second choice. Frank will be so proud. I'm thinking it was just a courtesy."
Donna handed CJ's cell to Abbey.
"No, Sam meant it," Danny answered, "and I would have been proud also. You know I would have gone along with whatever you wanted, but I'm glad you turned down the seat. You are just beginning to enjoy Paddy; Washington would have been too much."
Donna's phone rang; Josh had just landed at Reagan and was heading for the White House. He was sending her phone the list of hospitals on the way from Manchester to DC.
Abbey had gone upstairs and now she and Aisling came back with Paddy and his paraphernalia. When CJ and Danny demurred, she wouldn't take no for answer and threatened to call upon the Secret Service detail if necessary.
So CJ, Danny, and Donna went upstairs, with Danny making sure that Donna traveled them safely.
They would all be leaving tomorrow, a bit saddened by the horrific events in Singapore, but glad that they had had one more time together to remember the Bartlet years.
Epilog
Brigadier General (Retired) Francisco and Mrs. Diana Muñoz
and
Doctor Daniel and Doctor Claudia Concannon
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Magdaléna Ynès
and
Padraic Talmadge
Nuptial Mass
Saturday September 20th, 2031
at 11:30 o'clock in the morning
Chapel of the Sacred Heart
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California
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"God Bless my SUV" – Capitol Steps
Well, I've heard that other countries are down on the U - S
A land of mass consumption our lives filled with excess
But my daddy wasn't fighting on Normandy that day
For the right to drive a Hyundai, I refuse to live that way
And I'm proud to be an American who gets just 5 em-pee-gee
Though I live alone this bus I own can seat one hundred three
And I'll gladly park so close to you when you pull out you can't see
I'll never trade my Escalade God bless my S – U – V !
Well the road may have congestion but I'll get there alive
So don't pester me with questions like "What would Ghandi drive?"
And you won't catch me in Starbucks when I need a drink or snack
When I bought this ship it came equipped with a Starbucks in the back
And I'm proud to be an American with a car that fits my rear
The cash I put down could have fed a town in Somalia for a year
And I'd gladly go and fight Saddam, he'd lose a war with me
You'll be stuck in mud when he sends his scud, but not my S - U – V!