Stone By Stone
Chapter 14 - All Alone In The Night
Synopsis: Charlie moves into his new apartment, Jed has a cold and Donna makes a surrprising discovery.
Characters: Ensemble
Episode/Spoilers: Set in an a/u that starts after season 5, Memorial Day.
Rating: PG
Tuesday May 24th
CJ looked up from the monitor and saw Josh walking past the window. She called him over and sat him down.
"CJ, I've got....."
"Watch him," CJ instructed.
"What am I....?"
"Just watch."
Josh sat and watched the president practising for the afternoon's press conference. Toby asked a question on the continuing peace talks and Jed answered it well. Sam asked him about the health bill and again Jed's answer was what they would have expected. As Josh watched, he knew it wasn't the quality of the responses that was troubling CJ. "What's wrong with him?" he asked.
"I don't know, but he looks awful. Where's Leo?"
"Still in the meeting. What about Abbey?"
"You think we should talk to Abbey?"
"Hey," Sam interrupted them. "Can I...?" he indicated the monitors and watched for a second. "Yeah, he looks terrible."
"If I didn't know him I maybe wouldn't notice, but," Sam shrugged. "He can't go on."
"We can't cancel," Josh replied.
"Why? It's not like we can't convincingly say he has pressing matters of state to attend to," Sam said.
CJ shook her head. "The only thing pressing enough to cancel a twenty minute press conference, that's been planned for two weeks, would be an invasion of American soil."
"Then we need to talk to Leo," Sam replied.
"I'm amazed Toby hasn't asked him outright," Josh said.
"I don't think he's noticed," Sam told him.
"Perhaps it's just us then?" Josh asked hopefully. CJ and Sam both gave him questioning looks. "Yeah, okay, wishfull thinking. Maybe we should just ask him."
"You first," CJ smiled.
"I'll talk to Leo," Josh replied as Leo entered the room.
"Talk to me about what?" Leo asked.
"The president doesn't look well," Josh replied.
"He has a head cold," Leo told them.
"A cold?" CJ asked.
"Yeah," Leo nodded. "He probably caught it off one of you, you were all ill last week."
"That could work," CJ nodded.
Leo studied them, "You think it's an MS attack?" he asked incredulously. When no one answered him, he shook his head. "He's allowed to be ill without it being MS."
"We know that," CJ agreed. "We're just not sure the public and the press will see it that way."
"We're not cancelling," Leo told them. "Josh, walk with me."
Josh glanced at CJ and Sam and shrugged, before following Leo out of the office. "What's up?"
"Do you know how pissed he'd be if we suggested cancelling because he has a cold?" Leo asked.
"He might not," Josh half heartidly replied.
"How would you be if everytime you looked a little off color everyone assumed it was after effects from Rosslyn?"
"I'd be pissed. The press are gonna notice though."
"Maybe," Leo agreed. "I want you to go see Hedges when you're in Baltimore."
"Really?" Josh whined.
"What's the problem?"
"Last time I saw him....."
"That was a year ago, get over it."
"Okay, I can meet with him."
"Thanks," Leo replied sarcastically.
"So you think he'll be alright?"
"The president?" Leo asked and Josh nodded. "He'll be fine. He has a cold."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5pm
Josh and Leo watched CJ's final briefing of the day. None of the questions seemed to be taxing her, until she called on Danny.
"CJ, how's the president feeling?"
"I haven't asked him in the last hour, but I'm sure he'll be touched by your concern, Danny. Jules?" CJ pinted to another reporter.
"Sorry," Danny interupted, "I have a follow up. Actually it's the same question. Is the president okay? He didn't look too well earlier."
Josh sighed as he watched. "I said someone would notice," he told Leo.
"You did," Leo agreed. "But you don't think Danny would have jumped on us cancelling?"
"Of course he would. Trust Danny to stir the rabble. Now every news editor is going to be going back over the conference to see what Danny saw."
"CJ's handling it fine. You worry too much," Leo replied.
"Working here will do that to you," Josh agreed. "You still want me to meet with Hedges tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"And he's happy about that?"
"Didn't tell him it was you," Leo smiled. "Go and do some work."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Danny caught up with CJ as she left the press room. "Hey, nice briefing."
"You had to do it didn't you?" CJ asked. "He has a head cold, but you had to bring it up in there."
"Yes," Danny agreed. "If the president's ill then the public have a right to know."
"He has a cold," CJ repeated.
"I know. You told me. Isn't it better to get that out in the open rather than have speculation about what's wrong?"
"No one else had noticed."
"Or, they had noticed and were waiting to print their own opinions," Danny suggested.
"What did you want?" CJ asked.
"So, Charlie moves to his new apartment on Saturday. You think the president'll let you all take the weekend off to help?"
"How did you know about that?"
"I have my sources," Danny teased.
"Sources? What sources? Who the hell is gossiping about where Charlie lives?"
"Woah, calm down. Charlie told me. What's the problem?"
"The address of the president's bodyman isn't something we want to see in the papers."
"It's not something I'd print. But in case you're worried, I also happen to know where the deputy chief of staff lives, not to mention the press secretary and the chief of staff. What the hell, CJ?"
"Sorry," CJ sighed.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, everything's fine," CJ said, knowing that Danny didn't believe her but not able to share with him the hassles Charlie had gone through with the Secret Service to find an apartment he could afford, that they'd let Zoey visit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8pm
"Oh, this'll be fun," Donna teased. "Last time you met with him...."
"Yes, I remember. Pass me the notes."
Donna handed Josh a blue folder and sat down in the visitor's chair. "So what does he want this time?"
"Apparantly we're living in a morally confused age," Josh replied as he read through the notes for the next day's meeting with the Reverend Hedges. "It seems that a decline in religion in Europe led to the Nazis and Communisim."
"I'm not sure that was what did it."
"They quote G.K. Chesterton who said," Josh scanned the page to find the apropriate quote. "'When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing -- they believe in anything.'"
"So they want to force religion on us all?" Donna asked,
"They want to encourage Judeo-Christian values on us all," Josh amended. "Society has apparantly become too secular." He put the file down and sighed. "I really don't want to take this meeting."
"You should just be happy that Mary Marsh isn't going to be there."
"Don't go tempting fate. I don't get why I have to go to him."
"Really?"
"No, of course I do. Last thing Leo wants is Reverend Hedges and his entorage turning up here. What I don't get is why Leo keeps making me meet these people. If it's not Hedges, it's Mary Marsh and John Van Dyke. It's like he enjoys torturing me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday
"When do you actually move in?" Debbie asked Charlie that lunch time.
"Saturday. You're going to come to the party aren't you? You can bring your man," Charlie offered.
"I'd love to come. I'll see if he's free, but...."
"He'll probably be working?" Charlie guessed. "He works longer hours than we do, unless you're just hiding him from us."
"Now why would I do that?" Debbie asked with a smile. "You told him yet?" she nodded toward the Oval.
Charlie nodded. "He wanted to come and check it out for me, thankfully Zoey managed to stop him."
"That would have been fun," Debbie laughed. "He could still help with decorating and furnishing."
"Don't even think about suggesting that to him," Charlie warned with a smile.
"We'll see. You excited?"
"Yes and no. I mean I'm pleased to be moving, but it's kind of sad to be leaving the place I grew up in. I know it's not a great neighborhood, in fact sometimes it's a warzone, but still..."
"It's home?" Debbie suggested.
"Yeah, has been since I was four. There's so many memories; growing up, Deanna, my mom." Charlie shrugged self consciously.
"You sure you want to do this?"
"I am. It'll be fine once I've moved in."
Debbie wasn't completely convinced, but she didn't argue. "You're not doing that on your own are you?"
"No. Everyone's supposed to be coming to help, so you know that means they'll have to work," Charlie smiled. "Still, if Zoey's there I'll have a bunch of agents to help."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2pm
Leo and Jed entered the outer office on their way back from the Situation Room. They stopped to watch the television for a moment. "Why's George doing the breifing?" Jed asked.
"CJ and Josh aren't back from Baltimore yet, Sir," Leo replied.
"How long can it take to drive from Baltimore, I thought they'd left two hours ago," Jed asked. "Have you phoned them?" he asked Leo.
"They're not answering," Leo said.
Charlie looked up from his work and caught Debbie's eye.
Jed shook his head and sighed. "Any messages?" he asked Debbie.
"I'll bring them in, Sir." Debbie glanced at Charlie as Leo and Jed walked into the Oval Office.
"I should say something," Charlie told Debbie.
"It might have nothing to do with it."
"They're not answering their phones," Charlie pointed out.
"I've got to take these in, I'll mention it." Debbie took the president's messages into the Oval Office. "You have a meeting with National Parks in ten minutes, Sir," she reminded him.
"Okay." Jed put his glasses on and glanced at the messages.
Leo caught Debbie's slightly worried expression, "Is something wrong?" he asked her.
"Probably not," she replied.
"Debbie?" Jed prompted.
"I was listening to the radio just now. There's been an accident on the I-95."
"Right," Jed replied absently.
"Where abouts?" Leo asked.
"Just outside Baltimore," Debbie told him.
"Then they're probably stuck in traffic," Leo suggested.
"Yeah," Debbie agreed.
Jed looked over his glasses from Debbie to Leo. He saw the worry on Leo's face. "Is that the route they'd take?"
"Yes," Leo replied. "How bad is the accident?" he asked Debbie.
"They said it was multiple car pile up. The road's been closed. They did say there are huge delays."
"Check their cell phones again," Jed instructed Leo.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thirty minutes later Jed's meeting with National Parks had ended and he went next door to see Leo. "Anything?" he asked as he entered the office.
"It's on the news," Leo nodded toward the TV. "About thirty cars they think."
Jed looked at the pictures of fire trucks and ambulances. "They'll be in the queue, they could be in a bad signal area," he reasoned, trying to reassure Leo. He could see the worry in his old friend's eyes.
"Yeah," Leo agreed. "Did you need me?"
"No, I just wondered if you'd heard anything. Let me know....."
"Leo," Margaret interrupted. "Sorry, Mr President. Josh is on line 3."
Leo picked up the receiver and pressed 3. "Josh," he said.
"Hey, Leo."
"Where are you?"
"Maryland General, but we're both fine. There was an accident on the freeway."
"It's on the news," Leo replied. "Are either of you hurt?" he asked.
"CJ's cut her arm, I knocked my head, so they made us go to the hospital. We weren't in the main accident. The cars in front had all stopped, CJ pulled up behind them but the van behind us didn't stop and shunted us into the queue in front. The car's a bit of mess," Leo could hear the smile in Josh's voice. "I told CJ they'll make her pay for it."
Leo smiled when he heard CJ protesting the background.
"They've discharged us, so we'll be back in an hour or so."
"Go home, don't come back here," Leo told him.
"I'll see you soon," Josh replied as Leo knew he would.
"They were in the accident?" Jed asked when Leo hung up.
"Yeah," Leo replied and relayed the conversation to Jed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4pm
Josh entered his office, sat down and started checking through his in tray, but reading made his head hurt, so gave up and went to see Leo.
Margaret looked up with concern as he entered her office. "You shouldn't be here, you have a concussion."
"Which means I shouldn't be alone, so I came here where there's lots of people to keep an eye on me. Is he in?"
"Yes, go in."
"Hey," Josh said to Leo.
"I told you to go home."
"I'd be bored," Josh told him.
"You feeling alright?"
"Yeah."
"Josh!"
"A bit groggy," Josh admitted. "I have a concussion."
"I suppose CJ came back as well?"
"She wanted to make sure there was nothing important. What you doing now?"
"Got a meeting in five minutes with Treasury. You want to sit in?"
"No thanks," Josh smiled, "I already have a headache."
"Go home."
"I'll wait for Donna to get back from the denists and then see how I feel." Josh agreed. "I'll see you later."
When Josh entered CJ's office, he found her getting ready for the afternoon briefing. "Hey, how's your head?" she asked.
"Sore," Josh admitted. "You're not doing the briefing?"
"Why not?"
"CJ! You've just been in a car crash, you hurt your arm."
"How does a cut arm stop me briefing?" CJ asked. "I've briefed when I felt worse than this. I briefed two hours after Rosslyn, Josh. If I can do that and keep it together, I'm pretty sure I can do this. You on the other hand look like crap."
"Thanks. Go and brief," he told her. "But can I borrow your couch for ten minutes?"
"Need a lie down?"
"Yeah."
"Go ahead," CJ smiled. As she left the office, she told Carol to check on Josh every 10 minutes or so and make sure he was okay.
Josh lay down on the couch and watched the TV for a few minutes until Donna found him. "Are you alright?" she asked as she entered the office.
"I just hit my head. How was the denist?"
"At least you didn't hit anything that could be damaged," she smiled and sat down on the couch as he moved up. "Have you had stitches?"
"Two, it may leave a scar, which I think would be rakish."
"Rakish?" Donna laughed. "If that makes you happy. I got Carol to rescheduled your appointments, seeing as you just collided with a windshield."
"Actaully it was the door, the airbag pushed me into it."
"That really could only happen to you," Donna smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday
"Guess who I saw yesterday," Sam said as he and Josh sat in the mess that lunch time. "I can't believe how long it is since I saw her, she looked well."
"Oh God, not the hooker, Laura?"
"Lauri," Sam corrected, "she was a call girl. Anyway, no not her."
"Thank God for that, You've only been back a few months I'd hate to see CJ and Toby beating the crap out of you while Leo cheered from the sidelines, not to mention what Chloe would do."
Sam tried to glare at Josh, but his eyes were laughing, "Do you want to know who I saw?"
"Yeah."
"Cathy. She was in Safeway."
"I thought she'd moved to Oregon?"
"Her husband got transfered back last month," Sam replied. "She's working at a lawyers in town, she has a two year old daughter and another on the way."
"Wow," Josh said. "Has it been that long?"
"Yeah, she left just after Rosslyn."
"I remember," Josh nodded. "Donna said you were unbearable for weeks."
"That's so untrue," Sam protested.
"Bonny compared you to Toby," Josh grinned.
"Well that's just cruel," Sam complained. "We still helping Charlie tomorrow?"
"That's the plan. I don't think he's counting on us though. He's got his basketball buddies helping as well."
"Probably just as well. Can't remember the last Saturday I was in town and didn't end up here."
"As long as we make the party."
"I'm not sure he appreciated you and CJ organizing that," Sam smiled.
Josh just shrugged and grinned. "Is Chloe coming?"
"No."
Josh felt the mood suddenly change and he gave Sam a curious look. "Everything alright?"
"Fine," Sam lied.
"Really?"
"Didn't I just say so?"
"You did," Josh agreed.
Sam started pushing his food around the plate before he put his fork down. "You think I go home often enough?"
"Home as in Capitol Hill or home as in Bridgeport?" Josh asked. "Ah, I see, that's the problem."
"I finish work so late on a Fridays that I really can't be bothered making the four hour drive. Then on Saturdays, I know I should get up early and drive home, but..." Sam shrugged.
To Josh this sounded like Lisa all over again. She'd got so sick of not seeing Sam that she'd told him it was the campaign or her. "Then start leaving at a reasonable time on Fridays."
"Just like that?"
"Maybe not every Friday," Josh conceded, "But every second week." He shrugged. "I'm possibly not the best person to give relationship advice."
"You and Donna are okay aren't you?"
"We're great," Josh insisted. "But I don't have a good track record do I?"
"It's a bit like mine," Sam agreed. "See you're lucky this time. Donna isn't going to complain about the hours you work."
Josh smiled, "Donna's been complaining about the hours I work for the last six years, or more accurately the hours I force her to work."
"She says she never sees me," Sam said.
"Why can't she come here? She finishes work a lot earlier than you on a Friday. So what's stopping her making the drive?"
"She doesn't like Washington," Sam replied.
"Ah, right."
"What does that mean?" Sam asked.
Josh was a little thrown by Sam's tone. "It means, ah right. What else would it mean?"
"Sorry," Sam sighed. "She was supposed to be looking for work nearer to here, that's not going to happen if she doesn't like the place is it?"
"What doesn't she like?" Josh asked. "Is it the city itself? Your work? Us?"
"I don't know."
"Shouldn't you ask?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why's Sam not coming to Charlie's?" Donna asked as they walked home that evening.
"He's gone home for the weekend," Josh replied. "I think they need to talk."
"Is that an euphonism for breaking up?"
"I hope not, I like Chloe. They just don't see much of each other."
"He does only seem to go there once a month at most."
"She could come here," Josh argued.
Donna laughed. "Yeah. She could drive for four hours to spend the weekend on her own while Sam finishes something important here."
"I guess. He says she doesn't like it here."
Donna smiled to herself at Josh's mystified tone. He could never understand anyone not liking Washington. "You can all be a little intimidating you know."
"I think you mean we, not you," Josh said.
"No, I deffinately mean you and Toby," Donna replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday Evening - Debbie's House
"You cook, I'll get the door," Debbie said as she left the kitchen. She walked through the lounge and opened the front door.
"Hey," Donna smiled. "You've forgot haven't you?"
"No," Debbie insisted. She looked down at her clothes and smiled. "Yes, sorry, Charlie's party. I can get dressed."
Donna was grinning, she was pretty sure Debbie wasn't alone. "You should get back to your guest."
Debbie smiled. "Tell him I'm sorry." She was tempted to invite Donna in, but knew she probably shouldn't.
Donna was just about to leave, when a voice called from the kitchen, "Did you get lost?"
"Men," Debbie sighed, but she could tell Donna knew who's voice that was. "Come in," she said. "I'll be back in a minute." Debbie left a bemused Donna in the lounge while she went back to the kitchen. "Idiot!"
"Why?"
"Guess who was at the door."
"Insurance salesman?"
"Donna."
"Is she alone?"
"She is, but after six years working for you I'm fairly sure she knows your voice. I'd say we're sprung."
"Okay." Leo turned the hob off and they both walked into the lounge.
"Hey," Donna grinned. "Public relations?" she asked Debbie. She watched them both and tried hard to stop grinning, but she couldn't remember ever seeing Leo in a t-shirt before and she'd never seen him looking so embarrased. "I don't understand," she said, "why's it a secret?"
"Mal knows, so do the president and Abbey," Leo told her.
"Not Josh?" Donna smiled.
"I will tell him," Leo said.
"You don't have to just because I know," Donna replied. "We can have secrets, or at least I can."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charlie's New Apartment
"I thought you were bringing Debbie?" Margaret asked.
"She couldn't make it," Donna replied.
"What's she doing?"
Donna hesitated before deciding the best lie was one that was very close to the truth. "She's entertaining."
Margaret smiled. "You mean her new man actually has time off work."
"He does," Donna agreed.
"Did you meet him?"
Donna shook her head, "No, she's still hiding him from us."
"Perhaps she just wants to keep things private?" CJ suggested.
"Well yes," Margaret agreed, "but you have to wonder why."
Josh shook his head. "Stop gossiping and come and join the party."
"This is nice apartment," CJ commented.
"It is," Josh agreed. "But I don't think it was the decor that was important to Charlie." He nodded the other side of the room, where Charlie was standing talking to Zoey.
"I wonder what the super thought when Charlie asked if the Secret Service could vet the building before he signed the lease?" Donna wondered.
"Mine thought it was funny," Josh told her. "I'd already lived there for ten years, so if my neighbors wanted to kill me then they would have done it already."
"They vetted your building?" Donna asked.
"When I took this job, yeah."
"Why wasn't mine vetted?" CJ asked. When Josh shrugged, she grabbed hold of a passing Toby. "Was your building vetted?"
"I'm sorry?"
"She's a little drunk," Josh said.
"When you became communications director, did they vet your building?"
"Why would anyone...?"
"Secret Service vetted Josh's," CJ complained.
Toby glanced at Josh, who smiled, "Make that very drunk."
"No, CJ," Toby replied. "But Josh is Leo's deputy," he gently pointed out.
"Would have been funny if they'd tried to vet mine," Donna told them.
CJ had moved onto the next conversation though. "Will bought a date," she declared.
"What the hell's he doing here?" Toby asked.
"Who's he with?" Donna wondered.
Across the room Charlie was aware that he was neglecting his guests, but he didn't care, in fact if he was honest he couldn't wait for them to leave. Zoey was staying tonight, something that had required military planning and promises to both the president and first lady that Zoey's protection would be in the building, Zoey would have her panic button, the building had been secured and it's occupants thoroughly vetted. Charlie was as keen as anyone to keep Zoey safe, but he did wonder if her parents were a little over protective.
"What time are you going to kick everyone out?" Zoey asked him.
"Let me see, it's 10.20 now, I was thinking around 10.30," Charlie grinned.
"What do you think the chances of that are?"
"None. You think they'll miss us if we go and check out the bedroom?"
"Is there a nice view from the window?"
"No idea," Charlie smiled. "You want to go and find out?"
"Charlie," Josh said. "Come and enjoy the party."
"I already am, thanks."
Josh studied them, "We can all go if you like?"
"Yeah, that'd be great," Charlie replied with a smile.
Josh just grinned though and went to join Donna, CJ and Toby.
"I don't think he was serious?" Zoey commented.
"No," Charlie agreed. "Who's idea was it to have a party on my first night here?"
"Didn't Josh and CJ just invite themselves?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connecticut
Sam and Chloe had eaten dinner, Sam had cleared away the takeout boxes, and now they were sitting comfortably on the sofa. Sam had offered to take Chloe out for the evening, but she'd not seen him for two weeks and wanted him to herself. He was trying to convince her to visit him in Washington. That he wanted to show her off to his friends.
"I realize now that you were right," Chloe told him. "When I see them on TV, especially Toby and Josh, they're not being themselves."
"They're not," Sam agreed. "Well Toby is," he smiled. "What made you realize?"
"You," she replied. "I watched you on Capitol Beat, you weren't nice," she teased.
"You watched? I thought we'd agreed you wouldn't watch me on the TV, especially when I'm on Capitol Beat with a right wing Republican Bartlet Bater like Manson."
Chloe laughed, "Yes we did, and now I know why. You weren't as bad as Toby Zeigler or Josh Lyman, but you were getting there."
"That's unfair," Sam complained, with as close to a straight face as he could manage. "I was having an off day this week. I can be as bad as Toby and Josh." He studied Chloe. "You'd like them if you got to know them."
"I know, but we don't have to be one of those couples who share each others friends do we."
"No, but it's be good if you at least knew them. Josh and Donna are in Westport next weekend, they want to know if we'd like to meet up for a meal?" Sam asked.
Chloe tried to look enthusiastic, "Yeah, that's be nice."
"Really?" Sam asked. "You don't look too sure."
"Was it your idea for them to come?"
"No. They're coming anyway. It's the anniversary of Josh's father's death, he always comes here sometime around now. You want to meet up with them?"
"If it means you'll be home next weekend, yes," Chloe agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington
"Alone at last," Zoey smiled.
"I thought they'd never leave," Charlie said. "You know, I'm sure Josh was doing that on purpose."
"Forget Josh, come to bed."
Charlie turned the light off in the living room and followed Zoey into the bedroom. "Your agents all settled in?"
"In their cars outside."
"I thought you father said...."
"You want to talk about my father, the secret service and Josh, or you want to come to bed?"
"That's a toughy," Charlie pretended to to weigh up his options.
"Okay," Zoey smiled and started to return to the living room.
"Don't you dare," Charlie grinned and followed Zoey across the room.
Outside in the darkness, the agents at the front and back of the building communicated their colleague inside that Bookbag and Bagman had were alone and all was quiet for the night.
~~End Of Chapter 14~~