Disclaimer and notes in Part 1

***

Saturday morning

"I hate snow," CJ told Margaret as she hurried into her office.

"It's stopped now," Margaret told her.

"There was just enough to make me late for work." CJ sighed. "Now I'm going to be behind all day."

"Speaking of behind-" Margaret began.

CJ cut her off. "Hold that thought, the briefing's started." She switched on the TV to watch Toby.

"...everything to be back to normal soon." He was saying.

"So what's the weather report?" A reporter called out.

"This is it." Toby told them. "No more snow. As I said, the plows are out and running. This will all be a memory in a few hours. Questions?"

"Sam Seaborn was seen dancing with Leo McGarry's daughter last night. Are they dating?"

"Well, Steve, there are so many ways to answer that. The White House doesn't comment on personal lives. Of course, Mr. Seaborn doesn't work here anymore, so I could send you to go bother his office. Or, I could tell you that they've been friends for a long time. I'm going to go with, no comment."

"What about the pictures of CJ and Danny Concannon?" Katie asked.

CJ gasped. "Pictures?"

Margaret dropped her eyes.

"Pictures?" Toby asked with an innocent expression that fooled no one. "I'm sure my answer is no-"

"Dancing." Katie clarified.

"Ms. Cregg and Mr. Concannon were out with a group of friends last night. They shared a dance, as friends."

"His hand is on her butt," Katie told him.

CJ moaned. "So before, when you said 'behind'?"

Margaret nodded. "Yeah, Toby wanted to see you before the briefing."

"Stupid snow," CJ muttered.

On the TV, Toby shook his head. "I can't speak for Danny in particular, but I know I speak for most of the men in this room when I say..." He smiled slightly. "If I had the chance for my hands to be on CJ's behind, I would probably take it."

The press chuckled as Toby shuffled his papers. "Speaking of possibly unwanted touching, members of the White House staff will be attending a seminar this afternoon. It will be a chance for the women to learn to fight back in case they are attacked. It's also a chance for the men... to get beat up. I'll be calling an early lid because of that."

As Toby left the briefing room, CJ turned slowly to Margaret. "Well, he shouldn't have let Katie lead him down that path. But he's getting better at this."

"You don't think there'll be a story about you and him?"

CJ waved that away. "Wouldn't be the first time. And it's better than a story about the White House Chief of Staff and a reporter. Toby realized that."

Margaret considered this. "I suppose that's true."

"Tell Toby good job and he doesn't need to come see me if he doesn't want to."

Margaret nodded and left CJ to her piles of work.

***

Saturday afternoon

"Is it time?" CJ didn't look up at the knock, frantically trying to read a few more sentences before leaving for the seminar.

"Any time is good with me."

She fought a smile as she looked up. "I'm speaking about beating you up."

Danny smiled. "I'm speaking about something different. Did you see the pictures?"

"Yes, and my bet is you framed a copy for yourself. How did you get back here?"

"Josh."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. Where is this class taking place?"

Margaret appeared behind Danny. "You need to get changed now."

Danny waved his hand. "Go ahead."

Margaret started at him. "Leave."

Danny hesitated for a moment, but any comment he may have had died at the look on Margaret's face. CJ held back the laugh that threatened as he shuffled out.

"You've got him whipped." CJ told her. "He had Carol wrapped around his finger."

"Go get changed now." Margaret told her.

CJ grabbed her bag to head out. "Where-"

"Down in the gym."

"The class-"

"The gym! Hurry before you have to take the class in that outfit."

CJ hurried out with her bag. She met Carol on her way down and they made their way to the locker room.

"The First Lady must already be here," Carol nodded towards the Secret Service agents.

"Or the President." CJ told her. "I think he wants to cheer us on."

"Oh." Carol sighed. "Great."

They pushed their way into the locker room to find the rest of the women there already, in various states of dress. The only ones already changed were Abbey and Zoey, since they had gotten ready in the Residence.

"Ready to beat Toby up?" Abbey asked CJ as soon as she walked in.

She laughed. "Looking forward to it. Where's our teacher?"

"Already out there," Donna walked by, fiddling with her hair, struggling to get it into a braid. "Making the boys move things."

"Bet the President is amused." CJ dropped her bag and began pulling out clothes.

"This is going to be the highlight of his week." Zoey rolled her eyes. "He's all set up out there, everything he needs to work is down here now. A moving office. He's got way too much power."

"You can tell him that," Carol told her. "I'll just follow orders."

"Hurry up," Mallory told them. "I know you guys have nothing to do, but I have papers to grade after this."

Zoey stuck her tongue out at Mallory. "You didn't have to go out last night."

"Let's go, ladies." Abbey cut in.

"Yes, ma'am." Donna, her hair finally perfect, joined them.

"Abbey." she told Donna. "At least for today."

Donna smiled shyly. "Okay, ma'am."

"Mallory, what's wrong with your coat? Is it raining out?" CJ stopped in the middle of hanging up her clothes when she brushed against Mallory's coat. "And how did it get soaked, didn't you get driven to a covered door?"

Mallory nodded. "Yeah, but the snow is blowing all over the place, the covering didn't help."

"Sam said it would stop snowing this morning." CJ told Mallory.

"And Toby announced it to the Press," Carol put in.

"He was wrong." Mallory told them with a grin. "Let's go let him know that."

They made their way to the gym, following the noise of exercise equipment being moved out of the way, and men's voices.

"Feel like you're on your way to a beheading?" Carol whispered to CJ.

CJ grinned. "More like the center ring at the circus."

"Look who decided to join us!" The President's voice boomed as the women came into view.

"We had to get ready," Abbey told him. "You know how long it takes for women to get dressed." She moved to stand next to him.

"A fact that still puzzles me. You look beautiful when you roll out of bed in the morning." He smiled fondly at his wife.

"What about the rest of these women?" She challenged him with an answering smile.

"Thanks to the campaign and sleepovers from long ago with Mallory and our girls, I can say with conviction that you all always look beautiful."

"Okay, dad." Zoey broke in. "Next time you force us to work out, we'll get ready faster. Let's get started."

"In a hurry?" Jed raised his eyebrows. "Got a hot date tonight?"

He blush was the only answer and he smiled grimly. "Wonderful." Then he turned to stage whisper to their teacher. "Keep her after class and I'll give you twenty bucks."

"I think that's my cue to start." She walked to the center of the group. "I've met all of you already, but I'll start how I normally do. My name is Carrie and I've been teaching these classes for nine years now. The class will be a mix of different moves, so everything isn't from karate, for example. I've added and taken away moves over the years based on what works and what doesn't."

"What do we do?" Toby asked.

She hesitated and glanced at the President. "I'm not entirely sure yet. We'll figure that out as we go."

Josh groaned. "What? You normally just teach women, don't you?"

The President answered for her. "I wanted these women to have read people to practice on, not just air. Besides, you all needed some time off."

"You could have just given us the afternoon off, sir." Toby pointed out.

"And you would have spent the time working, either here or at home. Am I right?"

Toby's frown answered for him.

"Let's get started." Jed turned it back over to Carrie.

Carrie nodded and began the instructions. They began with kicks and slowly the women got into it. CJ glanced up at one point and noticed Danny sitting next to the President. Alarm flashed through her for just a moment before she smiled. It was hard to the stop the reaction from years of working with and against the Press.

Soon, Carrie called the men over to help with practicing the new moves. CJ was vaguely amused when Toby walked over to her, leaving Danny with Carol.

"I told the men to wear padding and protection." Carrie told the women. "So feel free to practice your kicks on them."

CJ grinned at Toby.

"Can I switch partners?" Toby called out. Everyone laughed but no one took him up on it after a glance at CJ's maniacal grin.

As the afternoon wore on, Carrie continued to demonstrate moves for her class. Carol was the first to figure out how to do one of the last moves. She yelled in delight when she flipped Danny and he landed on his back on the mat.

"Maybe you could do that in the Press Room." Danny told Toby from the floor. Carol reached out and helped Danny to get up. Soon, all the women had caught onto the move and were gleefully sending the men flying.

"This is fun." Mallory told CJ, who laughed and agreed. She admitted to herself that the President had been right, this was a good way to spend an afternoon.

Just as CJ knocked Toby to the floor again, the door opened.

"Hey, CJ. Can I do that?"

"Andy." Toby greeted her from the floor. "How are you?"

Andy quickly greeted the President before turning back to Toby. "My office has been getting phone calls all day because of you."

"What'd I do?" Toby stood up to greet his ex-wife.

"Well, I'm being asked if our marriage ending was because you couldn't keep your hands off CJ Cregg."

The room grew still.

"You're kidding me." Toby said uncertainly.

"Oh, crap." CJ sunk to the floor with a sigh.

"You'll make a statement, refute it." Abbey told them. "How'd this come up anyway?"

Carol told her Toby's comment from that morning.

"Why would you say something like that?"

CJ answered Abbey. "He was shifting the attention from Danny and me."

"There have always been whispers about mine and CJ's relationship." Toby added. "I never thought they'd go after Andy over this, try and make it into an actual story."

Andy sighed. "It'll go away. Go back to your class."

Toby followed Andy over to talk to the President, who looked amused with the new entertainment. CJ took the free moments to look around at the rest of the groups. She watched as Zoey carefully knocked Charlie to the floor, trying not to hurt him. Meanwhile, Will was trying not to do anything that would get Abbey's agents on his back. He fell with the lightest touch. Carol and Danny looked to be having as much fun as Josh and Donna. Or, CJ amended, at least Donna was having fun knocking over her boss. Mallory executed a perfect flip, and Sam ended up on the mat. But he brought her down with him and she landed half on his body.

"Sam!"

He grinned at her, until her exclamation was echoed across the room, this time with a deeper voice.

"Sam! I didn't come down here to watch you grope my daughter."

Sam scrambled to his feet, his face bright red. He helped Mallory up, then dropped his hand from hers.

Leo laughed. "At ease."

"What's going on, Leo?" The President waved him over.

"Sir, we're snowed in."

"What?" CJ jumped up. She turned to Sam angrily. "You said it was stopping."

"It will. Eventually." He flinched at her glare. "Sorry, Emily said it would."

"Who's Emily?" Mallory asked him.

He smiled. "First Lieutenant Emily Lowenbrau"

"Oh, right, your always-wrong weather girl."

"Hey!"

"Children." Jed silenced them. He turned back to Leo, motioning for him to speak.

"The snow was supposed to stop."

"And it didn't."

"No, sir." Leo sighed. "Most of the lower staff made it out of here."

Jed laughed. "On a Saturday afternoon, yeah I'll bet most of them had excuses to get out of here."

CJ finally broke in. "Can we go back to the part where we're stuck here?"

"There's plenty of food in the Residence." Jed smiled.

Abbey sighed and turned to CJ. "You stay here, finish the class."

"And you?"

Jed stood. "She's going to come with me upstairs to plan a dinner party."

CJ nodded in resignation as Jed and Abbey swept out with most of the Secret Service agents. Then she turned to Carrie. "Well, do you want to keep going?"

"Can I try too?" Andy dropped her purse. "I'd like to beat up Toby."

Before Toby could say anything, CJ chimed in. "Sure, sounds good."

Will looked around quickly and walked up to Danny. "Go let CJ beat you up?"

Danny nearly laughed as he realized what Will had figured out- with Abbey gone and Andy claiming Toby, it left Will with CJ. "Scared of CJ, huh?"

Will didn't even flinch. "Yes."

Danny grinned. "But you can handle Carol?"

Will glanced at her. "I think so."

"Yeah, okay." Danny walked over to CJ, leaving a relieved Will to follow Carol.

"What're you doing?"

"I bribed Will to trade with me."

She glanced over at Will and Carol. "No, honestly."

"He's scared of you."

She shrugged. "Yeah, and?"

Danny smiled at her matter-of-fact tone. "That's it. He wanted to trade. I had no problem with that."

"I'll bet," she said dryly. "Whatever, I'll just kick your butt."

"Sounds fun." They fell silent to listen to Carrie give instructions for the next move she wanted them to learn.

***

"Don't go far!"

The class stopped on their way to the locker rooms.

"Dad?" Zoey put her hands on her hips. "What are you up to?"

"You're all coming to dinner upstairs as soon as you're dressed." He looked around and caught the look between Josh and CJ and the glance Danny gave CJ. "No, Josh, you and CJ are going to have something besides beer and candy bars tonight. While you take a few more hours away from working. And yes, Danny, this invitation includes you."

"Invitation?" Mallory voiced the thought on everyone's mind.

"Ah, yes." Jed clarified. "I mean order."

"Thank you, sir." Danny quickly accepted the offer.

"Okay, dismissed."

They all hurried off before Jed changed his mind and gave then a quiz on the history of gyms. They showered and changed quickly, not wanting to keep the President waiting. Before long they were making their way upstairs. CJ stopped at her office to return phone calls but was only there for a few minutes when her phone rang.

Margaret poked her head into the office. "The President."

She picked up the phone. "Yes, sir. I'll be up in a moment."

"You better hurry or I'm giving away your glass of wine."

She smiled. "Okay, sir."

"And bring Margaret. Debbie too if she's still around."

"Yes, sir." She answered before realizing he had already hung up. "Let's go, Margaret," she called. "We've been invited to dinner."

Margaret came into the office with a confused expression on her face.

"Residence." CJ told her. "A snowday dinner. Is Debbie still here?"

Margaret shook her head as CJ closed her folders and stood up. "She left a few hours ago."

"And you didn't?"

"No."

CJ considered this. "Okay. Let's go."

They made their way to the elevator in silence. CJ only broke the silence once they were in the elevator. "You could have left, you didn't have to stay if you wanted to leave."

Margaret rested her hand on her stomach for a moment. "I still had work since you were in the building. And I feel better being here, around people."

CJ glanced at Margaret's stomach. She hadn't begun to show yet and CJ was one of the few who knew so far. Luckily, being surrounded by men meant they wouldn't notice for quite awhile.

Margaret continued, misunderstanding CJ's glance. "I know, I'm not going into labor for quite awhile. I just feel better with people around."

"I understand." CJ assured her. "Perfectly normal."

The doors opened to the Residence and CJ took a deep breath. "Let's go have some fun."

Margaret gave her a small smile and they headed for the doors to the Residence. The agent nodded to them and opened the door.

"CJ!"

"Hello, sir." She took the wine glass he held out to her with a small smile.

"Margaret? Wine?"

Margaret smiled. "I'm hoping to get more work done tonight, sir. Just juice please."

He chuckled but didn't even try to order her off work, knowing her like he did. "So dedicated." Charlie brought Margaret her drink. Jed turned to him. "Charlie, go take care of my daughter instead. I'll give you some time off."

Charlie smiled. "Thank you, sir." He hurried off before Jed could change his mind.

"Is everyone here?" Jed glanced around. "It's about time to eat."

CJ glanced around but Josh answered before she could decide how to answer the President. "Danny's not here."

"Well, someone needs to go find him." Abbey chimed. "CJ, could you go tell him it's time to eat."

CJ shook her head slightly and smiled at Abbey's innocent expression. "Of course, ma'am. Excuse me." She left the room and headed for the elevator. As she rode down, she realized she should have asked where Danny was. Just as quickly, however, she realized she didn't need to.

She opened the door to the Press Room quietly. Just as she had thought, Danny was sitting at his desk writing. She watched him for a moment before speaking. "The President wants you to know that you're hungry."

Danny's head shot up and he grinned. "It's a good thing he's around to let me know."

"You ready to come upstairs?" She crossed to him, glancing around the room that she now barely saw.

"I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea for me to be there." He confessed.

She smiled at him. "It'll be fine, the President invited you."

"Okay. Let me just finish this." He motioned to the paper in front of him.

"You're writing stories out longhand now? What happened to the laptop?"

"This isn't a story. It's a note to Katie. I wanted to see her while I was in town, but with this snow I don't know if that's going to happen."

"You and Katie, huh?"

"Don't start with me, you know I mean as friends."

She smiled. "Sure, sure."

"You want to read the letter?"

She laughed. "Of course not, I'm just kidding." Then she grew serious. "But if you wanted to be more than friends with a woman-"

"Stop it."

"What?"

"There is one woman I want." He told her with a sigh. "I think about her all the time and soon there won't be any reason I can't kiss her whenever I want. You just like to make me say things like that, bolster your ego."

She glanced away, thinking about what he had said. "It is nice to hear."

He finished the letter and stood to drop it on Katie's desk. "So you like me saying those things."

"Yeah."

"Good. Kiss me."

She stared at him. "What?"

"You scared?"

"Oh, no, you're not going to get me to-"

"Chicken."

"Calling me names is not going to-"

"Scaredy cat."

"Scaredy cat?"

He shrugged. "It was that or cluck like a chicken. Chicken."

She shook her head and turned towards the door. He followed closely behind.

"Think I can convince Josh to start a game of Truth or Dare?"

She turned abruptly back to him, not stepping back even when she realized they were only inches apart. "I am not playing-"

Her words were cut off when he grabbed her head to pull her lips into contact with his. After a few moments, she pulled away.

"You shouldn't do that."

"Maybe if you said that with a little more conviction, I'd consider it."

She smiled. "Danny."

"Let's go upstairs. We'll finish this..." His eyes dropped to her lips, then back to her eyes. "...discussion later."

He headed out the door, grabbing her wrist to propel her forward. In the elevator, she realized they were hand-in-hand and tried to pull her hand away. He brought it to his lips and kissed her palm before letting her go.

The doors opened. Danny grinned. "I love parties, don't you?"

CJ groaned and followed him, trying to ignore the fact that her hand was tingling from his kiss. And her lips, well, she'd push that thought out of her mind as fast as possible.

The agent opened the door to the Residence and she walked in after Danny, a smile on her lips as she looked around at her friends.

"Great, we can eat now." Josh exclaimed, his stomach looking forward to the real food now laid out on the buffet.

Jed smiled but held up one hand, "I'd like to say a few words first."

Zoey groaned. "Dad, no speeches."

CJ hid her smile at Zoey's familiar whine, heard so often on the campaign to try to make her father stop talking.

"Just a small prayer of thanks," Jed assured his daughter. "Although for that comment I should make you give it."

Abbey moved to stand next to her husband. He took her hand as she whispered loudly, "We're all hungry, sweetheart. You can match wits with our daughter after I have some food on my plate."

He nodded and kissed her hand. She turned to Zoey, who was standing next to her, and took her hand. The rest of those in the room joined hands, some awkwardly. Jed said a short prayer of thanks for friendship, safety and good food that brought smiles to all the faces in the room. After, CJ noticed that Danny kept hold of her hand a few moments longer than necessary. Jed moved to the food, knowing no one would eat before him. His movement took the attention that might otherwise have been on CJ and Danny.

She smiled at him and slowly took her hand back. "After dinner," she mouthed. "Let's take a walk."

He smiled happily, his eyes lighting up. She turned quickly to the buffet, not needing an answer in words.

"This is wonderful, sir." Josh took another bite of chicken. He had grabbed a spot on one of the couches.

"Better than beer and candy bars?" Jed asked him.

"Well, sir, I didn't say that."

"I don't know where you got the idea that we only eat candy bars, sir." CJ said. "Why, I think I had pizza five times this week."

"Six," Margaret muttered.

"It's true, sir." Toby backed CJ up. "I think she's had salad a few times too."

"Ah." Jed nodded and considered this. "Pizza, salad, candy bars, beer. Anything else?"

Toby and CJ glanced at each other, then CJ tentatively answered. "Coffee."

Abbey sighed. "CJ, CJ. We need to get you to a nutritionalist."

"Now, wait!" CJ protested, pointing at Toby. "He doesn't even have salads."

"The cigars make up for it," he told her. "They're a vegetable."

Jed quickly changed the subject before Abbey really called a nutritionalist to come to the White House and check out all of his staff. "So, Sam, how's everything going?"

Sam looked up quickly from the conversation with Mallory he had been immersed in. "I'm good, sir."

"When you're President, can I be on your Cabinet?"

Sam grinned and ducked his head. "Sir, I doubt I'm going to-"

Jed waved that away. "I follow politics a little, Sam. There's more and more talk about you. You're going far."

"Thank you, sir."

Mallory smiled at Sam's shy stance, thinking how cute shyness was in such a good-looking man.

"So we'll have another good-looking President," Abbey echoed Mallory's thoughts.

"What're his chances for this coming election?" Zoey asked.

Josh frowned. "Hard to say, it's really too early to tell."

"Josh is being nice." Sam turned to Zoey. "I have no chance. But I might in a few years."

"You have a chance," Josh protested. "Or you could try for the VP spot."

"I don't know." Donna began.

Josh interrupted her. "We're not discussing your infatuation with Senator Vinick."

She blushed.

"Really, Donna?" Jed looked very interested.

"I'm sorry, sir." She glared at Josh. "It's kind of an inside joke."

"After Zoey's party," Josh told the President. "She liked what Vinick said."

"Ah." Jed nodded. "Yeah, I did too."

"You realize we're sitting in the Residence of the White House discussing the chances of the Republicans taking over?" Toby glared at Donna and Josh.

Andy smiled evilly. "You know, there have been Republicans in this room, Toby."

He shuddered, though they could all see he was doing it more for show. The wine and Andy's presence had relaxed him.

"Everyone done?" Abbey stood to go tell the kitchen staff they could clear the food and bring dessert. "Tea with dessert?"

They stared at her, confused.

She sighed. "Fine, I'll tell them coffee."

"Thank you, ma'am." Toby told her gratefully.

"Who wants to play a game?" Jed asked.

CJ and Danny exchanged amused glances, thinking of the Truth or Dare comment from earlier. Zoey groaned. "Dad, can't we just leave?"

"You and Charlie are going to stay close to me." Jed told her.

"Jed." Abbey smiled slightly at him. "Let them go watch a movie."

Jed sighed. "Only if it's My Little Pony."

"Jed."

"Disney's Snow White?"

Abbey shook her head.

"If anyone wants to go see a movie in the screening room, that's an option." He looked around at the interested faces. "Okay, let's see a move then. We'll save games for the next sleepover."

"What movie, sir?" Danny asked.

Jed looked at Zoey.

"The Aviator." She told them, deciding it would be easier to deal with her father in a movie than during a game.

"And everyone still looks interested." Jed smiled. "Amazing."

"I'll tell the kitchen to set up dessert in the screening room." Abbey took control. "While they're getting that and the movie ready, I for one would love to get changed. These shoes are killing me."

CJ glanced at her high heels. All of them had put back on nice clothes after the class. "Sounds good," CJ said, silently adding her stockings to the list.

"Then let's say a half hour?" Abbey waited a moment for everyone to nod. Then she swept out of the room, already mentally in her lounging outfit.

The rest of the party dispersed, taking the elevator down a few at a time. CJ ended up with Danny, Margaret, and Carol.

"Don't try to skip this," CJ warned Danny.

He glanced at her and she could almost hear his thoughts of watching a movie with her in the dark. "Wouldn't miss it."

She looked away with a small smile, thinking this might be better than the walk they had planned. She and Margaret parted from Danny and Carol when they left the elevator.

Danny followed Carol to her desk, where she had stashed his overnight bag.

"Thank goodness we work at the White House." Danny observed. "We all have a second wardrobe here."

Carol smiled. "True. I'd be really uncomfortable in these clothes trying to relax and watch a movie." She gestured to her skirt and flats.

"At least it's a Saturday, we're all a little underdressed."

Carol nodded. "No neckties or high heels."

"CJ's got on high heels." Danny pointed out.

"She's the only one." Carol told him. "It's so she'll tower over you."

He grinned. "And all the other guys."

"She doesn't normally wear heels on Saturday." Carol told him.

"Ah." He decided that was an interesting tidbit that he could maybe take up with CJ later.

"Thanks. I'll meet you back at the elevator." At her nod he took off for the nearest rest room.

Before long, there was a crowd gathered outside the screening room, joking and laughing.

Jed glanced around. "Where are Sam and Mallory? And Margaret?"

CJ took the second question. "Margaret's lying down, she felt a little-" CJ stopped herself from saying 'nauseous'. "Tired."

"Is she okay?" Abbey was ready to go into doctor mode.

"She's fine." CJ assured her. "Nothing a little nap can't cure." And getting past the morning sickness part of her pregnancy, she added silently.

"Okay." Jed nodded. "And Mallory and Sam?"

The group fell silent and a few exchanged amused glances.

"Zoey." Jed pointed at her.

"Why me?"

"You took off with Mallory to get changed." Jed reminded her.

"Yeah." Zoey rolled her eyes and relented. "Sam came by and asked her to go for a walk."

"Josh, call him."

Josh couldn't refuse his boss' order, so he pulled out his cell phone. A few moments later, they heard "House of the Rising Sun" playing around the corner. Josh followed the noise, then came back with a coat.

"And that would be Sam's." Abbey held back a laugh.

"Josh, go find him. Take Donna with you so you don't get lost."

"Jed." Abbey held up her hand. "Let them be."

"And Leo would have my head."

"That's true." Leo chimed in.

"Then you..." She stared at Jed for a moment then realized what would happen if he found Mallory and Sam. "Yeah, send Josh."

Josh and Donna walked away. Jed called after them, "We'll wait inside."

Josh waved without turning, then asked the nearest agent where Sam and Mallory were.

He and Donna headed for the elevator. "What in the world is he doing in the boiler room?"

***

"The steam pipe trunk distribution venue."

Mallory looked around. "Still looks like a boiler room to me."

"And yet it's not." Sam sat on a step and watched her wander around the room.

"Why are we down here?"

"So no one can find us?"

She smiled. "Why wouldn't we want anyone to find us?"

"Well... ah..." Sam began to fidget. "I wanted to talk to you privately."

"For what?"

He swallowed. "To ask you out?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He nodded. "I think. I mean... if you want me to."

She began to laugh. "How old are you? Really, Sam, you act like a teenager sometimes."

"Well, I-" He stood to leave.

"It's so sweet." She finished laughing to smile fondly at him. "You're so cute."

"Oh?"

"Sit down." She sat next to him when he obeyed.

He took her hand and tangled their fingers, never taking his eyes from hers.

"Sam-"

"Hey, Sam!"

She sighed and stood up, letting his hand drop.

"In here, Josh." He looked at Mallory. "Mallory-"

"We'll talk later." She assured him. "And yes."

"Yes?"

She smiled. "Yes."

He realized she was saying yes to a date and smiled. "Well, that's-"

"Later." She mouthed.

"Hey, the President requests your presence."

Mallory raised an eyebrow at Josh. "Guess we can't refuse?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't." Josh advised her.

"Let's go." She took Sam's hand again and dragged him out the door.

Josh opened his mouth to comment on that, but Donna elbowed him in the side. He turned to her, confused.

"Shut up," she mouthed, then turned to follow the couple out.

By the time they got back up to the screening room, Mallory had dropped Sam’s hand. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath before nodding to the agent at the door. "They watching the movie?"

"No, ma'am." He told her. "Still waiting for you."

She sighed. "Great."

Sam opened the door for her, then held it for Josh and Donna.

"Mallory!" Jed called. "Have some dessert."

She stared in amazement at the table. Any candy she could possibly want with her movie was there. Boxes of movie-sized Twizzlers, gummi bears, snowcaps and many others were heaped on the table. "Fancy."

"Yeah." Jed told her. "The chef is ready to have my head."

"Lucky she won't get past the agents." Mallory grabbed a box of snowcaps and the tub of popcorn Jed held out for her.

"Everyone have their stuff?" Jed asked, even though he was still at the table debating over Twizzlers or gummi bears.

Abbey rolled her eyes and grabbed both from the table, then took his arm to lead him to their seats in the front of the theatre.

"Both." He winked at CJ. "Even better."

She smiled and made her own choices. Danny, she had noticed, had grabbed chocolate and popcorn. So she grabbed licorice and wondered if she could get away with sitting next to him. She glanced around, amused that everyone seemed to have paired off. Zoey and Charlie, looking not too thrilled with their assigned seats right behind the First Couple. Josh and Donna, off to the side sniping at each other. Toby and Andy, silently waiting for the movie to start. CJ noticed they were holding hands and blinked away the sudden happy tears.

Leo and Carrie. Well, that was unexpected. Almost as unexpected as Will and Carol. She hadn't really talked to Carol in too long, she realized, and made a mental note to ask her about the agent who, it looked like, was getting the boot.

And Danny. Sitting all the way in the back, never taking his eyes off her. In the few seconds it had taken her to glance around the room, she had made her decision. She made her way silently to the back row and settled herself next to Danny.

Jed stood up in front of the room and turned to the audience. "I'd like to give a brief history of Howard Hughes." Abbey took his hand and pulled him down to whisper in his ear. From the gleam in his eye, most of the audience could take a guess at what she said.

He cleared his throat. "But I'm not going to. Let's watch."

The lights dimmed as the President sat.

"What was that?" Danny whispered to CJ.

"My guess," she whispered back. "The First Lady threatened him."

"With what?"

She considered her words carefully. "The First Couple likes... to have a little fun during movies."

He gaped at her and his voice rose a bit. "Like making out?"

"Not sure I like that phrase when applied to them. Not very dignified." She kept her voice down, hoping he'd take the hint.

He nodded. "What about you?"

"I'm very dignified also," she told him as the credits began to roll.

He put his arm around her and whispered in her ear. "And making out?"

"Hey, Danny."

He dropped his arm quickly and sat up straighter. "Yes, sir?"

"If you're going to seduce my Chief of Staff, be quiet about it."

Danny's mind ran through his conversation with CJ, realizing the only thing the President could have heard was the making out comment. Since he had no desire to tell the President they had actually been discussing him and the First Lady, he quickly agreed. "Of course, sir."

"About time he seduced her," Josh whispered loudly to Donna.

"Shut up, Josh." Toby called to him with a growl. The room fell silent, a testament to Toby's power.

Danny decided no words were necessary for the next few hours. He put his arm back around CJ's shoulders and pulled her closer. She reached up to tangle their fingers together and keep his arm around her. She smiled at him, then turned to the movie. They fit well together, he decided as she settled next to him, her head on his shoulder.

The movie turned out to be exciting enough that, when the lights came back up, only Andy was sleeping.

"The twins." Toby whispered to Abbey when she came to stand next to them.

"Poor thing," Abbey sighed, remembering all the sleepless nights with her girls. "There's a room ready for her down the hall, think you can wake her up enough to get her there?"

Toby nodded and began to whisper to Andy, slowly waking her up. He helped her stand and Abbey smiled to realize Andy would fall asleep standing if they didn't get her to a bed soon.

"Which room?"

Zoey stood. "I'll show you." She led the two out the door.

"What now?" Mallory asked Jed.

"Sleep." Abbey answered for him.

"It's only ten thirty." He told her.

"It'll make up for all those nights you're up until three." She considered. "Okay, it actually won't, but it'll be a start."

Jed glanced at his staff. "And what about the rest of you?"

"Sleep sounds like a good idea." Leo answered.

Jed sighed. "Fine."

"Good-night everyone. Zoey knows where you're all to sleep. I'm going to get him to bed before he changes his mind."

The staff watched them leave with a chorus of "Good-night."

"Well?" Josh asked when the door had shut behind the First Couple. "What's the real plan?"

"Poker?" CJ asked.

"Trivial Pursuit?" Josh asked.

"Without the President." Leo shook his head. "Don't think that'd go over well."

"Maybe someone else will have a chance to answer." Mallory considered. "Although poker... I do love to lose all my money to CJ."

"Well, you guys decide." CJ told them. "I'm going to go check on Margaret, see how she's feeling. Where are we playing?"

"Roosevelt Room?"

CJ nodded and started out.

"I'll come with you," Danny moved to follow her.

"Got a vote for what to do?" Leo asked him.

"Truth or Dare." Danny grinned as he left the room. Then he stuck his head back into the room. "Or Strip Poker."

Leo chuckled and shook his head. "Let's leave his vote as an 'undecided.'"

Zoey walked back in then, alone.

"Where's Toby?" Josh asked.

"He decided to stay with Andy." Zoey grinned. "Isn't that sweet?"

Josh and Leo exchanged glances. "You think?" Josh asked.

Leo nodded. "Could be." It wasn't a secret that the Staff wanted Toby and Andy back together. But no one realized just how much Leo hoped for it. His own marriage was unsalvageable, but he hoped there was still a chance for Toby's.

"Who's up for poker?" Josh asked the room.

"You guys are gonna let me play poker with you?" Zoey's eyes sparkled. She had weaseled her way into a few games on the campaign, but that had been years before.

"Sure," Josh shrugged. "Unless you want to play something else. So far we've got poker or Trivial Pursuit."

"Or-"

Josh cut Donna off before she could repeat Danny's suggestions. "Poker or Trivial Pursuit."

"Poker." Zoey voted. Everyone else quickly agreed and they headed for the elevator.

***

Part 3

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