Hi, so another chapter and just two more to go!

Also some of you may know by now some of you may not I tend to do a double update around Christmas to pump out as many chapters as I can. So there will defo be one if not more chapters following this as soon as this one is published.

And yeah, this took a bit of a turn. Enjoy anyway.

I did not plan to take Jake and Harrison down this route but I knew he wasn't going to stay with Anna forever and so this took a shape. I think Jake is probably bisexual, I think that was developed over time but if you don't like then don't read.

Disclaimer-Nothing is mine

Please Read and Review and I will do my best to bring you the final two chapters straight after this one!

Perhaps Love

Chapter26-Death Is The Rule Life Is The Exception

There is a shooting at the White House. In the aftermath Jake realises somethings. Anna is kind of already there.

She had learnt somethings from her time in Paris Anna thought sitting in the White House Press Briefing Room (and there was a sentence she never thought she'd hear herself say) with her feet up against the chair (again something she never thought she would do). She had already played press reporter and press secretary and now she and Jake were sat working their way thorough a bag of peanut butter cups when the subject turned to Paris and what she had learnt.

"Jake" she said quietly. "I love you but I realised…"

"Just friends" he said quietly and she nodded feeling relief course through her that he was reacting well.

"I just…I think we were having sex for all the wrong reasons"

"I know"

"And I do want to stay friends with you but I don't want…I got to…"

"Hey" he said turning to face her. "You don't have to tell me anything I don't already know Anna. You want to go to college, you want a career. You don't want a man. That's fine."

She nodded and then.

"Harrison kissed me"

She bit down hard on her peanut butter cup.

"Oh"

"Well I kissed him…I don't…we were both pretty drunk. Turns out he has been in love with me"

Anna refrained from saying Duh with increasing difficulty.

She sighed chewing again. She was not surprised they were here per say. Harrison was in love with Jake that had been clear for her to see and maybe that had contributed a little to her own feelings. She loved Harry like a brother but the truth of the matter was that he and Jake existed in their own orbit and their own world.

Besides this was 2003. If there was ever a time to be discovering things it was now.

"Jake—"

"It felt nice"

"That's fine"

"It's not" he said quietly. "I am the son of the Communications Director and the Press Secretary for the White House I can't be—"

"What gay? That's a load of bull and you know it"

"Bisexual"

"Oh"

"I like both" he said quietly. "I found a word for it and it fits, apparently lost of people like both"

"That's fine"

"You're not mad?"

God men were so stupid! She thought to herself. Why couldn't the world just be ran by a team of Abby Bartlett clones? Would be much simpler.

"Hon why I would I be mad?"

He shrugged and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for telling me" she said quietly.

"Thank you for dumping me"

"Hey I bet you never thought that you would say that"

He laughed at that and she grinned back and then just as she was about to ask him for details the door opened and in staggered Jake's parents and Sam and that new guy Sam was having train some of the interns that Anna had only met once and wasn't sure if she liked that much.

"Hey kids" CJ said looking at them smiling. "You two having fun?"

"Not really" Jake said. "We were told we could rent the Presidents private cinema to watch Star Wars but for some reason he doesn't like it"

"He likes classics like Beckett"

"Beckett is a good film" Will Bailey said quietly. "Jake you put your bet in for Sam and Ainsley's baby name or Toby's"

"Don't"

"I kinda like Henry if it's a boy" he said quickly and Anna raised her eyes to the heavens because seriously could he make it anymore obvious?

"Henry?" Sam said.

"Very distinguished"

"It is" he said nodding. "Anna?"

"Grace" she said at random. "Never goes out of style"

Sam nodded and just as she was about to open her mouth and ask just what Jake's father was on about when he was talking about eggs she heard it.

Something shattered at the window and she turned and then she saw something hit the window again. And then a third time this time a bang and Jake grabbed her and threw her on the floor so that they were crowded uncomfortably between the rows of seats.

It took her another second and then she heard the muffled sounds of Jake's Mom.

"Someone is shooting"

And suddenly she couldn't breathe.

Not this. Not again.

Seriously not this again.

This was the second time she had been in a shooting surrounded by what were supposed to be the best trained armed guards in the world and the only difference this time was that she was crouched behind two rows of seat and not on the ground exposed for everyone to get a shot at. There was no Simion Donavon now to protect them with his body as he returned fire.

The door slammed open so fast that it rattled and she looked up to see Jake his face white looking down at her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah"

"Mr Zeigler, Mr Seaborn?"

"Good"

"Straight shot" Will said over the mess. "Straight shot straight at the sidewalk"

"Miss Cregg?"

"Good my son"

There was a pause of about a heartbeat long and then.

"Sir—Ma'am"

"Good" Jake said poking his head above the seats. "Mom, Dad were good honest"

"Anna?"

"Good" she said after a second. She turned and saw that the shot had broken some glass but it was mostly intact. The window must be bulletproof she realised and then naturally she felt like an idiot because this was the White House so of course the windows were bullet proof you absolute idiot!

Jake was pulled up by the Secret Service agent and pushed towards his parents and he did the same for her and none to gently either. She was pushed towards a room that she recognised as the ovel and hands shaking she found her best friends hand and he squeezed it tight.

It seemed remarkable that a minute or two ago they were breaking up.

If that was even what you would call it.

The President was in full force tonight. Jake didn't know what they had interrupted tonight but he was willing to bet that they had interrupted something big. Something gnarly and big because Leo after been assured that they were alright had thrown them out saying they didn't have code word clearance—whatever that was—and so he and Anna went and sat in Leo's office where they were told that they were crashed.

"Crashed?"

"No one in or out"

"Oh God"

"Don't panic" he said smiling at her expression. "We do this once or twice a week. After the shooting we used to do it once or twice a day. This is like…my fourth time getting crashed in the Ovel. Thing is you gotta make sure you have something to do."

"And in Leo McGarry's office there is no booze"

"No but he does have all butter pastries that he hides from Margaret so there's that"

Anna rolled her eyes and then went to the phone.

"You think—"

"You should be fine. If not someone will tell you that your not fine but the Secret Service are usually good when it comes to stuff like this. Call them and tell them that you will be alright"

"You calling Harry?"

"Why?"

"Jake…call your boyfriend"

"He's not my boyfriend"

"Well might I suggest that you tell him that?"

Jake rolled his eyes at her but he didn't digress.

Anna and Jake were in Leo's office reading. It would have been funny to see the look on Leo's face when Margaret came in and found his collection of full puff pastry chocolate Danish swirls had his son and his girlfriend not been reading the latest report on sexual education. Anna was scoffing because Anna was a sensible young girl that knew right from wrong and also how insulting the report did. Jake had gotten to a bit that described in intimate details how teenagers used each other to experiment on and his eyes were blown wide.

"Wow"

"Oh God"

"Section Two is rubbish" Anna said waving a red pen around. "Mr McGerry there is a genuine period poverty in this country with woman and girls who cannot afford basics, that has nothing to do with sex—"

"Put that pen down girl or I will send you to Siberia."

"Can I make one change"

"Anna telling Leo to tell the Speaker to go fuck himself isn't policy"

"Not like I haven't thought about doing it" Leo said taking the report out of their hands. He sighed and Toby thought Leo looked exhausted.

"I hear you kid I do. Leave it with me"

Anna beamed. Jake got his coat and they were outside joined by CJ who told Toby with triumph in her voice that she had successfully managed to get the egg to stand on his head.

Jake blinked looked confused as hell. Toby decided that Jake was going home with him tonight. Kid didn't need to be around CJ's full moon witchy crazy right now.

"Hey listen" Jake said as they walked towards the two cars. "This isn't a big thing but I wanted to tell you Anna and I talked and we decided that we were better off as friends"

His Mom stopped dead.

"Oh"

"It's fine Mom really" Jake said smiling. "We don't…Anna and I sat and talked like two mature adults. It was a mutual decision and we both feel great about it. Otherwise you would have heard us"

CJ caught Toby's eye and then.

"Was that because you two didn't have sex the night that Harrison tried to…"

"How did you—"

"Bruno was tipped off by a Christian newspaper looking to embarrass your Dad and I—I handled it and everything was fine but that being said…I kinda thought that you would want to talk to us before you took that big step…me anyway"

Jake blinked. He looked back at Toby and then back at his mother again.

"Christ really?"

"Jacob"

"No I just…Jeez Mom did you talk to your Mom about sex? Dad?"

Toby balked, he would rather talk to his own father. Jake had not been there when the old man had shown up that Christmas but Toby thought it very probable that the old man might turn up again. He seemed to have most of the secret service eating out of his pocket which was of course the exact attitude that you needed when you were a member of Murder Inc.

"No" CJ said slowly. "I can see your…yeah…but your…"

"Still a virgin Mom. Yeah"

She nodded.

"Okay I just…"

"Besides this is 2003. If you want to experiment the time is now"

There was something in that, that made him pause and Toby caught CJ's look of utter confusion over Jake's shoulder.

"Does that mean you might…"

"Maybe…but I'll talk to you okay. I know that's what you want."

Toby very much wanted to live and die in ignorance but he knew that was what CJ wanted and right now he wanted nothing more to do than to keep all the woman in his life happy. The last thing he needed was another incident with the intern and the ceramic hippo.

Seriously Margaret would never let him hear the end of it.

He was amazed it had not yet found it's way on Leo's desk.

"I just want you to be safe" CJ said as they got to her car. "I just…Jake you don't remember what AIDS was like you weren't born but I do. I remember how serious it was, you've been reading a report that tells you as much and how governments foreign and domestic don't want to pay for treatment. Please respect yourself and your partner. Weather it is Anna or not"

Jake nodded and then.

"Out of all of the conversations we've had this has got to be the strangest one to have in the White House Car Park"

Toby laughed. CJ giggled and they went their separate ways. It occurred to Toby as he drove home that Jake had not been entirely honest with them as he could have been.

But that being said. In that situation he reasoned. What teenager was?

And there you go, I hope you enjoyed.

So I totally forgot about Toby's Dad! No worries he is making a return in the next chapter.

Next Chapter-As Andy goes into labour Jake gets a visit from his grandfather leading to him making a confession. Good thing Mr Zeigler Sr can set a boy straight. Penultimate Chapter.