Hi, so here is my first big story for this fandom and it's part one of a two part series! I hope that you enjoy this chapter and this story.

Now I love Danny/CJ. I love the character of Danny, I love how CJ and him got their happy ending at the end but there was always just something about Toby/CJ. The two of them just had such a connection and so this little monster of a plot was born.

This will cover Seasons 1-4 and will not be episode specific, certain episodes will be skipped. Dialogue will not be the same. If that's something you look for in a story then please don't start because you won't get it here.

Also in my West Wing Universe Sam doesn't leave and Ainsley joins full time.

Pairings are CJ/Toby (eventually) Josh/Donna, Sam/Ainsley, Jed/Abby.

Disclaimer-Nothing but Jacob is mine.

And on a side note, I like so many other Fanfiction Authors no longer receive notifications via email about reviews/PMs etc. So if you do send any it might be a while, if ever before I get back to you. Please keep that in mind for it is not intentional-If anyone has a fix please let me know.

There will be a second part that follows this...eventually. Each series should cover about seven chapters some chapters several episodes. Flashbacks included when needed.

Also I do not do Private Messaging anymore, any questions stick them in a review and I will get back to you next chapter note.

Also please be aware of a bit of a time jump between these chapters.

Also after much thought and consideration I have decided not to include Mandy in this story. She's there for like one Season and misses half of the episode and while she was an okay character played by a very good actress her disappearance and everything that follows is just too hard to write. So no Mandy. Ever.

And a couple of the episodes are mixed around here but please keep that in mind.


Perhaps Love

Chapter 4-Ordinary Heroes

Jake is caught in the middle of his parents fighting as the US is caught in the middle of Pakistan and India. Lord John comes to town and the President collapses.


It wasn't every day you woke up to find out that World War Three breaking out was a possibility.

When it kicked off with India and Pakistan it was more than possibility debated on CNN. It was a very real reality and as Jake walked into the White House he debated just turning around and walking back out because you could cut the tension with a knife and that was never a good sign for the continued peace and exsistance of the world.

It had been two days since the thing had kicked off and he had not had the time to speak to either one of his parents.

And that was before he learnt the President had collapsed.

"Jake?"

"Hey Josh"

"Step into my office for a sec?"

"Sure"

Donna flashed him a grin as he walked past and Josh shut both doors.

"I hate to be the one to do this kid but have you spoken to either of your parents in the last forty eight hours?"

"Only when I asked them what time the NSA was going to take me to the bunker"

Josh blinked at him and then…

"Sarcasm is only funny when I do it kid"

"Yes Sir"

"Ugh" Josh said pulling his face. "Please don't call me Sir either Jake I work in politics for a living"

Jake grinned.

"Has something happened?"

"Eh…well…we got the news about the troop movement last night and we…er…we didn't tell your Mom"

"Okay?"

"Well…now baring in mind this is only what I have managed to cobble together from my extensive observations at the Danish cart and what I've sent Donna to find out from Carole but…your Dad…put his foot in it so to speak"

There was a lot of ways that you could go with that sentence Jake thought. And he knew he was not going to like it either. He felt like he was going to need to lie down and nurse the headache that was surely coming in a dark room away from everyone and everything. Judging from the look on Josh's face he was not the only person who was also thinking that sounded like a nice thing to do right now rather than work in the White House.

"How do you mean?"

"He may…now I mean may Jake but he may have implied that he didn't trust your mother to lie to the press and then I think he asked her if she was sleeping with Danny"

For a second Jake blinked and then.

"OH HOLY HELL"

"Quite" Josh said not at all phased by the shouting.

"Why the hell would he think that, that was a good idea?" he said throwing up his hands in the air in a way that Josh in his worst moment would have bene proud off. "

"I don't know" Josh said in a tone that told Jake he truly didn't know why Toby Zeigler had been stupid enough to impugn CJ Cregg's credibility. "But he did and your mother…well…let's just say happiness if far from what she is feeling and the whole West Wing is suffering."

"Can't Leo—"

"Oh no!" Josh said shaking his head. "Leo is going through a divorce at the moment and is trying to find a hotel room that his secret service detail is happy with. To say nothing of the fact that he has…some other issues that are going to crash down on him at a moment's notice—"

"You know I know he's an alcoholic right?"

Josh stopped dead. Jake shrugged. "Dude the night the President won and you and Sam stood on the table and sang the Harvard theme song he was the only one besides me sober. Wasn't hard to figure out it wasn't because he was worried about the press wondering by"

Josh stared at him and then…

"You are wasted in High School you know?"

"Yeah I know" Jake said grinning. "I know I'm worth the NSA at least"

Josh didn't know weather to laugh at that clearly which made it all the funnier if you wanted Jake's opinion however Josh eyed him for a second and then…

"Did you know there were pills?"

Jake blinked.

"Pills?"

"Valium"

"No I didn't…is that…shit is that what that Congressman has?"

"Yes"

Jake whistled and then…

"Is he okay? Now I mean?"

"He's fine. Everyone who needs to know needs to know. I just…this is gonna break and I don't want the man to have to worry about two of his staff fighting in the middle of the office you know? I know it's not fair but if you've got anyway of dealing with your parents…you know any kind of magic touch then please can you do it?"

"Sure"

Josh looked almost pathetically relieved and not to heap more shit on the man Jake thought it was best to give him a heads up on the way out that he knew about Sam too.

The thudding noise that Jake heard was Josh's head hitting the desk. He did it with such a force that Donna came running just to make sure that he was alright.

He wasn't by the way.


"Mom?"

"Jacob"

Oh God. His mother was pissed. Weather or not she was pissed at him was another story. His Mom only ever used the name Jacob when she was annoyed.

The last time had been when Jake had accidently told a reporter for Fox News that his mother was a cat person and it had become a national issue on weather CJ Cregg was destined to be cat lady. And then he had flipped said reporter the finger when he had next seen them, considering there had been cake bought by Leo after that Jake thought he had done alright but still…

"Mom you okay?"

"Jacob what does btw mean?"

"Internet shorthand for by the way, why?"

"Some twit in research has added it to my briefing. We hire the best graduates from Harvard and Yale and they can't speak English?"

"I think they did it for ease Ma"

"Hmm…this is the White House we don't do things because there easy"

"Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"Just out of curiosity are we going to talk about what Dad said or are we ignoring him for two weeks before he comes grovelling?"

His Mom looked at him.

"Who?"

"Not telling, point is I know"

His Mom sighed. She stared down at her work for a second and then she exploded.

Jake could tell she had been desperate to do that all day.

"I was just starting to get credible. It took me a long time for them to even begin to see me as anything other than the new girl that they could run rings over, as the girl who fucked up Casey Creek and the dog story and then…and it's not that I don't understand that I had to keep a secret of course I do, I understand that that is what comes with this job but the idea of your father of all people to accuse me…" she shook her head and Jake sighed.

"Why don't you bunk off and come down to the bakery and get that warm flourless chocolate thing"

"The thing that's a thousand calories, a thousand bucks and makes me want to have a nap in the afternoon?"

"Yeah"

"You mean the thing I have two bites of and then you finish?"

"Yeah. But they also have those strawberry tart things you like so we can do a swap"

His mother eyed him for a second and then.

"Get your coat kid"

Jake didn't point out that he was wearing it.

It was cake time.


"Dad?"

"Jacob"

"GERALD?!"

Leo who had been using his office as a hide out which Toby considered unfair groaned.

"Hey Leo"

"Jake"

"You want a butter cookie?"

Leo eyed the cookie for a second wondering if he should push it.

"GERALD"

Screw it.

"Pass it here Jake"

Jake passed him the cookie and then.

"You know there's a lunatic Brit in the hallways screaming for a guy name Gerald right?"

"Yep" Leo said viciously nibbling the cookie and wondering if he could order a box and get it past Margaret and her sharp and beady eyes that monitored his calory and caffeine intake more than his doctor did.

"His name is Lord John Marbury he's a British Lord here to help us with India and Pakistan" Toby said.

Leo had to admire the kid's nerve. He took that sentence on the chin. He looked out at the bullpen and then…

"You know he's drunk right"

"Yep" Leo said nibbling the cookie again.

"I mean he's…like how is he standing drunk?"

"Yep" Leo said again. He was intimately acquainted with that feeling after all.

"Okay…Dad…did you demean Mom?"

Toby spluttered. "I did not demean her"

"Oh, so you didn't say that nobody trusted her not to lie to the press because she was sleeping with them"

Leo inhaled the last of the cookie.

"Oh Toby you didn't?"

"No I did not. Let me be clear I did not do that. Except…well…I didn't say in so many words"

"Oh dear God In Heaven"

How was it that he was the one staring down the divorce?

"Look I didn't want to demean her I just…I just…"

"Opened your mouth and hand grenades fall out"

Toby didn't have an answer to that.

Leo decided he was going to have to be the adult here. And that he was going to have to risk the wrath of Margaret in getting a box sent up to his office.

"Toby go and apologise"

"Sam said not to".

"Since when did you do what Sam said?"

"Leo—"

"Dad your not going to win this so don't even try."

"He's right Toby. You have a choice. Apologise to CJ so that we can carry on promoting the Presidents message to the American People who elected him to this office or you can go and deal with Lord Marbury"

Toby stared at him for a while apparently trying to gauge how serious he was. Leo didn't flinch. He'd stared down Abby just this morning. He was good.

"Fine" Toby muttered and then he left his own office just as another cry of GERALD hit them.

"Whose Gerald?"

"He thinks Gerald is me"

"But your Leo"

"Yeah thanks for that one kid. I was aware"

Jake dithered and Leo looked at him. He had seen that look in Mallory too many times to know that the kid was chomping at the bit to say something.

"What Jake?"

Jake shut the door.

"Is the President gonna be okay?"

"He'll be fine"

He wasn't sure if Jed was going to be fine but he was not going to go down the colossal mess that Abby had landed in his lap just yet. He would save that for when King George had gone home.

"You sure?"

"Both the First Lady and an Admiral checked him out—"

"Oh if the First Lady says he's fine then he's fine"

Oh goodie. Abby had gotten her hooks into another one.

"Leo?"

"Hmm?"

"Josh told me about rehab. I…I knew about the booze but.."

Leo stopped dead. He had been in the process of sitting up and now he had to sit down again.

"Oh?"

"Yeah and…and I just wanted to say…you know I've got your back right? I mean…if you need a distraction I'm happy to tell the Fox News Guy that hurricanes are caused by biometric pressure and not gay marriage"

Do not laugh Leo. Do not laugh.

"Thanks kid but I'm fine"

Jake shot him a look and Leo wondered for a second if he was related to Mallory and he had just not realised it at the time.

"You sure?"

"Yeah" he said hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. "Yeah I just…It was always going to come out. Trust me, there is no group of people in the world who can keep a secret like this one. One day soon I'll remember why I find it comforting"

Jake smiled at him and then…

"So Josh told you?"

"I think between this and India and Pakistan he didn't want me to worry if I didn't see my parents for weeks at a time"

"Ah"

"I kinda knew anyway"

"Oh?"

"Night the President was elected? When everyone hit the champagne?"

Leo remembered. He had felt like the teacher at the kids holiday camp.

Another reason why teachers should be paid some money.

"I just wanted to say that—"

"Kid it doesn't matter honestly. Go and sort your parents out."

Jake looked at him for a second and then nodded and left.

Leo watched as the dark haired boy left the room and sighed. He had wanted a media consultant and had sent Toby to find one and Toby had come back with CJ. Granted she had been at the top of his list but with CJ had come Jake and Leo had not known weather or not that had been a good idea. Children weren't the best thing to take on a campaign trail. They had never used the Bartlett girls but that might have been different mainly because Jed and Abby had been dead against it. With Jake there had been a teenager on the plane, a teenager on the campaign trail and there had always been some smart arse reporter who had tried to make a comment on the fact that Jed talked about schooling and yet there was a kid not in school even though Jake had kept up his studies religiously.

But it had been a risk.

And talk about paying off. CJ, Toby, Sam, Josh…without these people, these wonderfully insane, talented people he would have never have gotten off the ground in New Hampshire.

There was another cry of 'WHISKEY PEOPLE DO THEY NOT HAVE WHISKEY THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD? WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY GOOD FELLOW I CAN'T SMOKE THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD?' and he groaned.

Right now he would take CJ and Toby and their endless sexual tension that made Josh and Donna look normal over this.

God help him if Sam ever found someone to dance around. Leo didn't think his heart would take the strain.

But there was a fire to put out and he knew he had to put it out so he forced himself to his feet and he strengthened his resolve and went out to deal with the lunatic Brit running down the hallway trying to save the world.

Butter cookies Leo thought as he stepped into the bullpen and tried to calm the frightened and bemused masses who for reasons beyond his comprehension looked at him and his senior staff for direction. Lots and lots of butter cookies. And sod it, he thought, he had earned himself tonight a really, really nice rich cream sauce.


And yeah, Leo just wants his kids to be happy.

Next Chapter-Jake has to tell a story for his oral presentation at school. He talks about a day at the White House, the last teacher training day he went there. It involves root canal, a secret plan to fight inflation and celestial navigation.