Cadence glanced up in surprise at the sound of knocking on the room's door. She wondered what time it could be and searched hastily for a clock. A pale light leaking in at the edges of the heavy, navy curtains let her know that it had to sometime in the morning. Although the room temperature felt pleasant the light seemed cool as it drifted through.

Tom continued to snore beside her, oblivious to the world as he had succumbed to an alcoholic induced stupor a few hours ago.

Cadence spotted a large, round clock hanging on the wall near the window, showing that it was almost nine. Cadence knew the caller couldn't be bringing anything good and felt a little suspicious of reporters as another knock sounded on the door.

She glanced to Tom briefly before standing up and treading over the soft, peach carpet as quietly as she could in her socks. She stretched up to the peephole and squinted through it.

"What the," the words escaped her quietly as she dropped back to the flats of her feet in shock.

"Cady I know you're there," John Hoynes' voice called out.

"I'm meant to be here," she said bitingly. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Through the peephole she had spied the Vice President standing with a few Secret Service men ringed round him, looking suitably intimidating as the fisheye view distorted them.

"Helping against all sensible judgement," he answered brightly. "Now please, open the door."

"You're kidding," Cadence snapped in answer. "You think I'm going to let you kick Tom while he's already down? The party has done enough damage, don't you think?" She let her rage pour into sarcastic tones as she tried to quell herself from shouting.

John let out a heavy sigh that somehow had a sardonic lilt to it. "The help is for Landis," he explained. "You were right, this wasn't fair and I don't condone it."

"I don't believe you."

Cadence wanted to say more but she didn't dare with the Secret Service so close by. She knew John had to have them there but wondered cynically if he perhaps favoured their presence for a change because it meant Cadence couldn't get personal with him and ask the obvious- why should her former lover want to help her boyfriend?

"Cady please just open the door, the longer I stay out here the longer I'm at risk to being spotted by the press searching for Landis and they are searching for him."

Cadence frowned at the door before realising the futility of her expression as John couldn't see the anger on her face.

"I don't want you or anyone else seeing Tom right now."

"Cady I really am here to help him, okay?" John attempted to convince her though his tone had started to turn waspish as he let his impatience seep into it. "I admit I wanted him to lose this campaign, of course I did but not this way. I want to fix this so the fight is fair and," he paused before lowering his voice slightly, "so I don't lose you on my team. He loses like this and I know you're gone, you'll follow him back to Virginia and you won't emerge again."

"I can't believe the president would allow you here," Cadence said in annoyance as she wondered why her father or Leo would sanction this visit. Tom remained still a Republican at the end of the day and John seemed far too high in the Democratic party to be taking a risk like this.

"Well I didn't stop to ask for permission," John confessed hastily in a lowered voice, "and it's rare he actually notices when I'm not around but I suppose considering it's not subtle for me to travel he's probably been advised by now. Just open the door and I'll explain."

Cadence looked back to Tom. The man had sprawled out across the bed, shielded by the bedsheets as he snored. Bloodstains remained about his face, some fresher than others as his nose had bled on and off during the night. She knew he would never forgive her if John had only come to finish the job as it were.

She turned back to the door and opened it a crack.

John stared down at her expectantly with a calm, blue stare. He wore a sharp, designer navy suit and cast a jarring contrast to Tom's dishevelled form.

"Since I don't hear him cursing my name I'm going to wager that he's passed out," John ventured sarcastically.

"Why not asleep?" Cadence demanded as ire filled her grey-blue gaze.

John gave a tight, bitter smile. "The knocking would've woken him and I know how deep a man can go into the bottle when he gets hit this low."

Cadence frowned and glanced over her shoulder to Tom again before fixing a serious stare up to John. "Promise me you really are here to help him because I won't ever forgive you or myself if that's not the case."

She felt the usual small rise of temptation in her as she took in John's clean shaven jawline and followed it up to his smooth, pink mouth but worry for Tom overrode it quickly.

"I promise Cady," John said sincerely.

Cadence kept the door partially closed, using it as a shield for Tom's shame.

"Cady I'm going to need the full story," John advised her in a low voice. "Not the version that was leaked, the truth."

Cadence folded her arms as she looked back up to the vice. "Well you can get it from Tom if he's willing to tell you."

"How much did he drink?"

"Almost a full bottle of whiskey."

"Right, well we'll need rouse him. We will need to strategise fast."

"Isn't this a risk for your campaign?"

"Yes," John said bluntly.

Cadence tilted her head slightly as she studied John's face, trying to spy some tell in it. "Then why John and don't give me the moral spiel again."

John's gaze remained calm as he leaned down, putting his face daringly close to hers. She could smell his oak and amber aftershave and considered it a welcome trade for the odour of Tom's dried blood.

"For you Cady," he said quietly. "I know you won't leave him when he's down like this and it's hurting you as much as him so there's no victory in it for me. I also know if he loses fairly then there's a better chance of you staying on my team, you can't take it personally if it's a fair loss."

Cadence sighed and a refusal almost slipped out.

John didn't give her the chance. He pushed the door inwards in a sudden show of forcefulness, catching the young woman off guard.

"Sorry Cady but it's after nine, we really don't have time for all this, not if we're saving his career," John said as he hastened into the room.

"Sir," an agent protested as he hurried after him.

"Gentlemen, Mr. Landis is clearly not a threat to anyone but himself," John remarked dryly as he gestured to the still snoring man. "Now, make yourselves useful, while you're checking the bathroom for terrorists in waiting get the shower running."

The agents exchanged a dubious look with their leader, Tom Sedgewick, who gave a tight smile and nodded to them.

"Get to it," Tom ordered.

The agent looked over to Cadence with a mild curiosity and gave her a nod as well by way of greeting. Too many times his charge, the Vice President, had been put at risk unintentionally by this woman. Tom recalled all too easily how the VP had once insisted upon taking her home himself because she had been sick. Her home of course had been in one of the more unsavoury neighbourhoods of D.C but John hadn't cared much about that. There were plenty of other incidents too, including an attack upon her in Colombia that had led to her fainting in John's arms and despite the risk to his person he had refused to surrender her to an agent. Tom would have considered it an act of dumb love except the vice was married and Cadence was dating Tom Landis.

The agent turned away from Cadence, refusing to pull on that string. He had been instructed, as many agents in his position before him, to turn a blind eye to personal matters. As long as he kept the VP safe his job was done.

John stepped up to Tom Landis' bedside and looked down at him thoughtfully as he rubbed his palms together.

Cadence frowned at the display. "Are you enjoying this?" she queried accusingly.

"Cady, if I derive some pleasure out of the method I choose to wake him up with I don't think it should be held against me, I'm only human and he does remain a Republican who has been a pain in my side many times," John answered glibly.

"Let me wake him," Cadence protested as she started to move forward.

John held up a hand to stop her. "No, he's going to be mad, better for you he takes it out on me."

Cadence regretted her decision to grant John access as she watched him seize up a glass of half-drunk water and deposit it over Tom's face with entirely too much glee.

Tom shot up with a curse, both hands going to his eyes to rub the water away as he shook his hair free of droplets. He lowered his hands and gawked about the room in surprise, shock filling his face before rage started to take over.

"Before you have an outburst Landis let me talk," John suggested. "I am here to help you."

"Then I really must be screwed," Tom snapped as he turned his glower onto Cadence. "How long did it take before you let him in? Did you know he was coming?" He pushed his hands through his messy, sweat matted hair. "Shit, did you come here with him?"

"Cady arrived here last night, I flew out this morning and no one knew," John answered calmly. "Hell I wasn't sure myself, many times on the plane I kept wondering if it was just a weird dream but no, I am here to save your campaign and undoubtedly make an enemy of Judge Markway in the progress."

Tom snorted at this and shook his head. "The hell you are." He gave a low groan as his pounded with the gesture and reached up a hand to press against his heated brow.

"I am," John insisted, "because you do deserve a fair fight, not this stunt Markway has pulled."

"Oh, bad for the image of the Democrats is it?" Tom sneered as he rubbed at his hair again, fidgeting with the growing cowslick. "Prop the Republican up to kick him down more nicely?" He turned sombre as he lowered his hand. "Hardly matters, the damage is done."

"And if I stand with you and denounce the rumours we can undo it but we need the truth La-Tom," John corrected himself hastily as he attempted some warmth to the man. "But first a shower, you stink of beer and blood, and I'm getting flashbacks of college."
With John's words Tom became aware again of the pounding in his skull and he winced as the skin seemed to draw tight around the bone, crushing his skull into his brain.

John leaned back from the man and flung the bedsheets off him unceremoniously. He stood upright and looked over to Cadence sharply. "And you need to look presentable as well Cady," he addressed her.

"Hey-" Tom started to protest angrily.

Cadence hugged her arms about herself, conscious that she had fallen asleep in her shirt and trouser ensemble and added many creases to it.

"He's right Tom," she interrupted her partner. "You're a fighter and we're fighting but we're not doing it half-assed."

"No," Tom groaned, "I'm not fighting this, Henry is going to get pulled into it all and I won't have that."

Cadence moved to stand beside Tom, tensing slightly as she had to move past John to get there. She caught another whiff of his all too familiar and long favoured aftershave and glanced up to the back of his tall frame before she could help herself. How often had that scent caused a tingle in her because it meant he had been nearby? Reaching Tom, she fixed a gentle stare on him and smiled as she reached out to grip his hand.

"Tom, if you really don't want to then it's fine. No matter what you want to do I'm on your side. We can go back to the house in Virginia or we can go somewhere else, whatever you want is okay with me." Cadence's smile stayed but her blue-grey stare filled with sadness. "I know exactly what it's like to need to just accept your losses and leave and you supported me in doing that so I will do the same for you. Just, please think about it Tom, I mean really think about it because this has been your dream and you do deserve it."

Tom met his girlfriend's stare, taking in her sorrow as a frown crept across his face. He could see despite her sadness that she had a glow to her that he hadn't seen in a long time. He realised some of her confidence had finally come back to her, and that to have flown here alone would have required a certain amount of bravery on her part.

Tom released her hand to reach up and stroke her dirty fair hair lightly. "You are happy back in D.C, aren't you?" he asked softly.

Uncertainty flitted across Cadence's face as the question caught her off guard. She could feel John's probing sapphire stare upon her as he too awaited her response.

"Tom I'll go wherever you want, I promised you, it's your turn now."

Tom gave a lopsided smile and shook his head before letting out a curse as the gesture had his head roaring in pain once more.

He reached up to the tightness at his brow with his free hand before lowering it once more to look back to Cadence.

"I don't doubt you Cady but I get the feeling it would make things if easier if I too could be in D.C again. Just tell me you are happy with that because it wasn't that long ago that you weren't."

"You know I still have my fears Tom, D.C is complicated for me but if you are going to fight Markway, I am happy with that."

Tom's pale blue stare drifted over to John unfavourably. "Why are you here again? Is it a bad joke? You don't even have decent support in your own state, do you want to go down in flames?"

John tried hard to keep his mouth from creasing down into a frown. Instead he clasped his hands together in front of him, trying to strike a neutral pose.

"I really am here to help you, and yes I think it's crazy of me too but here I am anyway. If it's any consolation I still very much want you to lose, I just want it to happen fairly. Now," John made a point of looking at his watch, "we really have no more time for this. You and Cady need to wash, dress, and do you damnedest to look as presentable as you can. Then you need to tell me the truth Tom, not what Markway and the press think they know, what actually happened because since the press are already here we are going to have a conference in this lobby and by this afternoon most likely only one of us will still have a career."

John clapped his palms together suddenly causing Cadence to jump.

"Get going then!" John ordered them.

Cadence looked at the small collection of origami creatures on the coffee table before her. She had managed to construct three of them during the past couple of hours while she had sat and waited for John and Tom to appear. She occupied a private function room John had secured for them, thankfully a couple of Secret Service agents occupied it with her. They had accompanied her on a trip into the town on John's orders. At first she had rejected them, in vain of course, but once she had stepped out of the hotel to an unfamiliar area she had welcomed them, suddenly feeling her own vulnerability as unknown buildings and various strangers stood before her.

Cadence had gone to a few boutique stores to purchase an outfit that would somehow all at once suggest loyalty and love without being too flashy and yet would be eye-catching and admirable, scoring points for Tom via her own appeal. Fashion had never been her expertise and so she had surrendered to the eager shop hands and let them fuss over her and give suggestions. Pushed for time, she had changed in the shop when she had finally made her purchase of a flattering, tight but decidedly day-wear, navy blue dress with high heel shoes to match. Next had been a stop in the nearest hairdressers for the quickest appointment they could offer. She had refrained from purchasing any jewellery, choosing to display her diamond star necklace alone with pride.

Armoured now with make-up, polished hair, and a designer dress, Cadence felt only a little better. At the same time she also felt ill as she wondered how Tom would handle confessing everything to John of all people.

Cadence looked to the still unused coffee pot and cups sitting behind her origami animals and tensed as she caught a flashback of a different hotel as she had poured out coffee for John. She hated herself for how easy memories of him came even at a time like this when Tom needed her so badly. She didn't even fully understand it, she loved Tom, that was a certainty, if he asked her to marry him she would say yes and she knew that. The problem was that she loved John too and try as she might to shake the feeling she couldn't.

Cadence tensed and her eyes flashed with alarm as she heard the single door to the room open. She stood up from her seat, ready to run when there was nowhere to go. The room had only one door for access.

Tom halted as he entered the room with John close behind him. He could see the fear on Cadence's face even as she fought to banish it.

"Cady are you okay?" Tom hurried over to her, reaching out with both hands to grasp hers and feeling the slight tremble in them as she tried to subdue it.

"I'm fine, just a little nervous."

"A little?" Tom looked over to the origami collection pointedly.

She nodded as she resisted the urge she had to burrow her head against Tom's clean white shirt and hide there like a child scared of the dark.

"What am I putting you through huh?" Tom asked with a forced hint of cheer to his voice as he summoned up a small smile for her.

John observed the scene quietly, waiting impatiently for the moment of romance to end.

"Let me say it now while I have the chance, you look so beautiful," Tom praised Cadence.

She smiled back up at him and reached up to stroke his navy tie lightly. "And you look very handsome."

Tom's smile widened with the praise. He turned and led Cadence back to the two seater she had occupied and took a seat beside her.

John moved to sit opposite them, crossing his leg and leaning back to present a casual front. He hoped it might put Tom at ease, a notion he found foreign.

"I'll get to the point then, will I?" Tom queried icily as he glanced over to John.

"Well we don't have much time," John reminded him. "I have the press arranged to meet with us at two."

Tom nodded even as he paled. "Alright, well I'll be blunt then and quick. The press are right, I got my family murdered."
"Tom-"

Tom held up his hand to stop Cadence's protest. "It's true," he insisted as he lowered the hand. "You see there was a family gathering at my parents' house, it was close to the holidays, and my parents, my sister, her husband, and my nephew were all there. I should have been too but I had decided instead to get a hotel room for a quick romance with a woman I had been chatting to in a bar. I didn't bother to let anyone know where I was or that I'd be late."

John's curiosity immediately piqued as he observed Tom silently. He wondered if this moment of debauchery that had clearly cost him so dearly somehow explained why Tom had to be so saintly at times. Could it be that the man played penance this whole time?

"I should explain two things. First, my father was Thomas Landis, Tom to his friends. Second, I had started to work my way up in politics but also had a financially successful junior partnership in a law firm that had been well-advertised. People in the area knew I had money. To think," he said with a sudden bitterness, "if my parents had perhaps chosen any other name for me then maybe they'd be alive."

Cadence reached out to take a vice grip on Tom's right hand, knowing he would only swat her away if she didn't ensure her grasp was tight.

"A group of masked men raided my parents' house, in the middle of the day, surprising them having appetisers as they tried to sate their hunger while waiting for me." Tom dipped his head slightly and tugged out a handkerchief hastily from his trouser pocket as he smelt the familiar copper odour of blood. "I was already over an hour late by that stage and they still didn't attempt to just start the meal without me."

Tom dabbed at his nose and glanced up at John once more.

"The men tied them all up, started making demands for money, Tom Landis' money, my money. Henry, when he finally could talk about it, said the men bickered about my age, one didn't think I should be so old. When they didn't get the answers they wanted they started to hurt people."

Tom clenched his hands, crumpling up the handkerchief and hurting Cadence's hand inadvertently.

The young woman swallowed down a wince, refusing to upset him further with her pain.

"My brother-in-law Harry, Henry's father, apparently cracked, the police said this probably happened after they broke one of his legs and..." Tom swallowed hard and raised the handkerchief to his nose as the blood started to flow faster. "Did things to his wife, my sister. He told them they had the wrong Tom Landis. I don't really know how everything happened because I wasn't there, I should have been but I wasn't. I'm told from what the police pieced together from Henry's statements, they came to realise I was meant to be coming so they decided to wait it out, after they raided the house and didn't find enough. They got my sister to call me but I didn't answer because I was too busy fucking some woman whose name I don't even remember!"

"Tom!"

Cadence turned to him with alarm at his outburst. Her eyes widened as she saw the minute tremble at his chin, the hint that he might give into grief again and start crying.

"Tom it's not your fault, you could not have known," she tried to reassure him.

He shook his head miserably. "They got mad when I didn't show, so mad that they killed everyone except for Henry, although that wasn't intentional. He had two bullets in him, they meant for him to die. They left a message too, in my sister's blood- You Should Have Showed. So you see, it is entirely my fault that my family got murdered. I've carried it with me, tried to make amends but it's not possible. Henry has had as little as possible to do with me and I can't blame him for that. I spent thousands of dollars trying to find these people, the police had a dozen suspects, even a few arrests but not enough evidence. They wore masks, Henry couldn't give them much, he'd suffered a head injury on top of all his other trauma and his memories just didn't offer enough. The DNA they found didn't match any crooks on file, fingerprints were only partials, things got damaged by well-meaning paramedics and officers and so on."

Tom shook his head once more and looked to John. "And that's it, so how in the hell are you going to fix this again?"