Hi, so I have buckled down and got this done which is a huge sigh of relief for me so I am just going to post it in one swoop. Just a couple of things to consider-due to my wanting to end this story on a happy note I have decided that I am not going to kill Leo off. Just keep that in mind.

Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.

Please Read and Review.

Future Perfect

Chapter 23-For Good

As things ease up the Democrats are in a race for a candidate and for reasons he doesn't understand Jake finds that he meets both of them. He has to concede. He likes them both. Last one of Season 6.

Jake met Arnie Vinnick as he was coming out of the West Wing. It had not been intentional. Let everyone around him (including his father whose eye had done that twitching thing that was never good) be clear it had not been intentional but he'd had his hands full of voter paperwork and had bumped into the man.

"Oh Fuck" he said uncaring of where he was as the paperwork that fell to the floor. As it turned out it was not easy to register to vote, it was crippling work to get it done right and he was in the middle of his Senior year with a boyfriend whose mother had not spoken to him since she'd found out that his security guard was there when her husband had died so he was not what one would call in the best mood.

There was a chuckle and he winced as his knee twinged with the aftermath and then a man older than him with a kind of grandfatherly look stooped to help him pick it up.

"Sit down kid your knee doesn't look good" he said passing it to him and Jake sat down rubbing at the skin where the muscle twinged somewhat.

"Still rough?" the old man said looking at him and Jake nodded.

"Yeah…me it's the hips, takes time to get out of bed in the morning let me tell you. Though if you walk out and tell CNN that I will deny it"

Jake looked at him and then.

"I feel like I should know who you are but I don't" he said truthfully and the older man chuckled jerked his head at his minions and sat down on the bench next to him bashing his paperwork into the bench so it was nice and neat before he passed it back to him.

"Arnold Vinnick"

"Oh God you're the Republican"

"I am"

"Sorry" Jake said. "I feel like I should know that Sir I'm Jake—"

"Oh I know who you are kid, I made it a mission in my life to know everything about this place. You see I am going to run it one day so that means I need to know"

For a second Jake was stunned and then his brain caught up with him. It was common knowledge that he had won the Presidential nomination for the Republican party. It was obvious that he was here to speak to the President about something. He thought that he was going to die of embarrassment…or annoyance (because with a Republican Jake was finding that it went either way) when Arnie Vinnick picked up his paperwork and stared at it through his glasses.

"Voter registration?"

"First time this time" he said grinning. He had to admit he was rather proud of this one. If it was any other family then he wouldn't be but everyone seemed to be living their first vote vicariously again through him which was great if you took the time to listen to the President's stories on voting and Leo talking about Nixon.

"Oh you lucky thing" Arnie Vinnick said with that manic glint in his eye. "I remember mine like it was yesterday…whatever happens you never forget your first vote. It's like the first time you have sex"

Jake didn't know what to say to that so he answered about as honestly as he could.

"Maybe you should use that Senator when you whip up the youth vote"

He didn't mean it and he got an eye roll in return which was impressive because most people would look at him like he was an idiot. Any other Republican who knew about his sexuality was more than likely going to douse him in holy water. It might be cruel to dump them all in one box but Jake had been an old hand of this and he thought he knew a little bit more than the average voter.

"Not to sound like I'm pressuring you" he said beaming "But have you thought about where you want to go?"

"Democrat more than likely"

"Why?"

Jake shrugged.

"Figured it was obvious with my parents—"

"Oh you should never do that" Arnie Vinnick said looking scandalised. "No son you vote how you want to vote do you understand me. you never allow yourself to get pressured on it. You don't tell your parents who you voted for either. That should stay between you and the ballet box and you make sure of it. Freedom of choice at that little wooden box is the only thing that matters. If I ever leave any impression on you son then let it be that. You get educated, you look at the facts, you don't have to sit up at night and watch the debates but you look at what both candidates stand for, you look at what is happening in the world and you think about what you want to happen and then you vote the way your heart is telling you and then you have done your job the only job that you need to do. Do not vote for Russell or me because your parents tell you too. I'd rather you vote for me because you like what I propose. You're the generation that's going to be most affected by this election. Own it"

For a second Jake blinked stunned. He really did not know what to say to that so like an idiot he said again the only truth that came out of his mouth.

"Your not like the rest of the people in your party"

"No" Arnie Vinnick said with a chuckle. "I'm not. And like your Dad pointed out to me today, that's the snake oil that I'm selling. I don't have the same views as the rest of them. I don't get my jolly's out of telling a woman what to do with her body and why should I care who you or anyone else sleeps with as long as there are an adult and it's consensual. I also happy to believe that earthquakes are caused by science and not by gay marriage so there's that. And I voted against DADT so let me assure you that is the first thing going"

"And what's the catch?"

"Should there be one?"

"Your selling that kind of snake oil like Dad says there should be a catch. What is it? Tax breaks for the uber wealthy? Defunding public schools? Vouchers?"

"You think vouchers are a bad idea?"

Jake opened his mouth and then realised that he didn't know.

Arnie Vinnik smiled as if he knew that he had him by the balls.

"Get educated kid, one thing about courting the youth vote is that they think they know everything. Get educated and show up and then you'll sleep just fine"

And with that he patted Jake on the knee and then stood up and walked out the door leaving Jake stunned into absolutely silence and leaning far too much to the right than he knew either one of his parents would have liked.

Interesting.

He had met Russell before, that was the problem with that but he had not met the other serious challenger to the DNC until two days before the convention when it became clear that it was going to be between Russell and Santos. In truth Jake didn't know who he was going to vote for but he had been waiting for his Dad when a door had slammed shut. He swallowed…he was getting better, he knew he was getting better but the truth of the matter was that he was also struggling some more. With every step forwards there was one step backwards but he was getting better at the knowing he was struggling.

He had his feet up against the wall and he was looking at the ceiling trying to remember the breathing exercises and knowing that it wasn't going to work when a knock on the door of his Dad's office penetrated the fog of death and destruction.

"Hey kid I'm looking for a secret service agent called Zane Han—Okay you alright?"

Jake nodded keeping his eyes closed. It was a door, a door and it was not a bomb.

He cracked open one eye to find Matt Santos himself sat on the couch watching him his hand raised as if he wanted to touch him but didn't know if he was going to. Eventually the other man placed a hand on his back and gently rested it there while Jake got his breathing under control.

"Sorry" he said finally.

"Ah don't be" Matt Santos said easily. "I still get em and I've been out the service fifteen years"

"You have?"

"Yeah"

Jake didn't know why he found that extremely comforting but he did. Maybe it was because this man looked so pressed together that it seemed impossible to imagine a world where he did not act like he was okay. Or maybe it was because in his mind's eye politics meant that you had to be strong. How many times had heard that there was no room for weakness in Washington?

He sighed and swallowed.

"Thanks"

"Don't worry about it."

"You know Zane?"

"Served with him"

"Oh God there's more of you?"

Was the entire class of Top Gun working here?

"Not Navy kid" the Congressman said as if he knew what Jake was thinking. Did a mission with him where both of us had to go up and thought I'd say hi that was it. You doing okay?"

"Been better. It's just…doors"

"Me it's smells. My wife doesn't overdo the meat anymore cause it smells like rotting plane…"

"Planes rot?"

"When doused in engine oil they do trust me"

Jake didn't know what to say to that.

"It goes away you know" Matt Santos said quietly. "You can't rush it—"

"People keep telling me that"

"And they are right. Case in point, other night Josh was listening to classical music"

Jake paused. Matt Santos rolled his eyes. "Son there is no such thing as a secret in Washington. I knew, I knew and I didn't care. He knows I know. Were two private men and we don't talk about it until the other one of us needs to."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blank card and scrawled his number on it.

"That takes you to my phone personally. You have a bad night you call me, I'll talk you through it"

"Even when your President"

Matt Santos smiled.

"Especially when I'm President" he said and then he stood up and was gone.

What was it Jake thought looking at the card…how the hell did they have two really good options running in his first vote?

Santos-McGerry.

"Jesus Christ" came a voice to his left and Zane looked around. He was at the Democratic Convention and Jake had buggered off with Harrison. He knew where they were and he had stood over the other side of the corridor to see the TV. He didn't need to see what they were doing in that room and he damn well didn't need to hear it.

He missed Ellie's details. He never had this with Ellie.

He turned and gulped. Tessa was stood there.

"How did you?"

"I got invited by Josh Lyman apparently Jake asked him"

"Fuck" he said and she smiled bitterly.

"Yeah my reaction too. I reckon he knew that we were gonna have to meet and he wanted it where I couldn't make a scene"

"Tess—"

"Don't worry" she said finally. "I'm not gonna break them up or do anything to embarrass you"

"I'm not worried about that—"

"Harrison says you've been fucked since it happened"

Zane swallowed.

"Yeah"

"Well that makes two of us doesn't it"

He nodded and she sighed.

"Zane I was twenty four with a baby the last time we met. I wont lie and say I'm the same woman."

"But you feel the same?"

She looked at him.

"Sometimes" she said easily. "Sometimes I want to machine gun you down but then…then I think Jack loved flying with you so what's the point. I married a man in the military I always knew that there was a chance—"

She trailed off and they watched as Leo McGerry walked across the stage hand in hand with Matt Santos to appeal to the masses.

"It's a brave new world" he said following her gaze. She lifted one corner of her mouth up and then.

"I reckon we both have to find a way to live in it" she said finally and Zane nodded.

They didn't need to say anything else to each other the entire night.

He didn't think they had to.

And there we go

Next Chapter-As we enter Season 7 the campaign for President gets underway. Jake gets mail. Toby and CJ celebrate.