After "The Midterms," the senior staff comes through
all right.
"Well, sir, you ended the honeymoon."
Jed Bartlet kept walking, unconcerned. "What
honeymoon?"
"The approval rating. You pretty much ended that
one."
"The aftermath? That one ended weeks ago, Leo. What
are you babbling about?"
Leo nearly had to jog to keep up with the President.
"I'm talking about you blew away the room, from what
I'm hearing."
"Not the room. Just Dr. Jacobs."
"You ended the honeymoon."
"I did no such thing."
"You ended it with a divorce, a restraining order, and
a jealous new husband with a gun!"
Jed turned to face Leo. "It ended months ago."
Leo shrugged, and the President continued on his path
to the Oval Office. He stayed silent, waiting for it.
"Well," Leo said at last. "You made sure it was
over."
Bartlet laughed and waved a hand. "What's next?"
"Next, you get mad at me."
"What'd you do?"
"I'm about to tell you what happened."
Bartlet turned on Leo again. "You know what happened
and you haven't told me?"
"I found out five minutes ago."
"That's five minutes earlier than you told me."
"Mr. President."
The President turned and continued on his way. "What
happened?"
"Seven five." Leo had to stop abruptly to keep from
crashing into the President, who had skidded to a
halt.
"Seven five?"
"Yes, sir."
"Seven Republicans, five Democrats?"
"Yes, sir."
"Four months and four hundred million dollars, and you
come to me with seven five?"
"Well, to my credit, Mr. President, I wasn't the only
one who voted."
Bartlet nodded and started walking again. "I guess
you're right."
"Yes, sir."
"Just tell me this," Bartlet said, turning again.
"Oh, for the love of God, Mr. President, walk or
don't!"
"Just tell me this."
"Yes, sir."
Bartlet peered at him. "Who'd you vote for?"
Leo rolled his eyes and kept walking. He left the
President in favor of his office, and a moment later
heard Bartlet shout, "Hey, Leo!"
"Yes, Mr. President!"
"Where's my staff?"
"My guess is getting drunk on Josh's front stoop!"
Bartlet stuck his head around the door. "Donna lifted
the rules?"
"She changed them a little."
"He can entertain, but he has to do it outside?"
"I think that's accurate."
"Just out of curiosity, did they get married and just
not invite me to the wedding?"
"Sir."
"I'm sorry." The President nodded. "And where's my
daughter?"
"She's with Charlie."
"Did they take extra protection?"
"Can we please refer to their protection as the Secret
Service?"
"I'm going to pretend I didn't understand your point."
"They took extra protection, Mr. President. Now, may
I please ...?"
"Oh," Jed said. "Of course. Don't mind me. I just
thought, being the leader of the free world, and all,
that I could --"
"Yes, sir."
Bartlet waved. "Anyway," he said. "I'm done."
"You going to bed?"
"I'm going to the residence."
"You gonna listen to the radio?"
"You know, I think Dr. Jacobs would have given me
permission to kill you myself if she --"
"Mr. President?"
"Good night, Leo."
"Good night, Mr. President."
Leo sat back at his desk and thought about picking up
the phone. He had a few brief calls to make before
he, too, would head home. It was well after midnight.
His staff was off somewhere getting drunk over seven
five, and the President was in bed. But Leo needed a
moment more. Just one serious moment to reflect on
these months past.
"Do you really think he was wearing the pajamas just
for me?"
Slowly, Leo looked up from his reflecting. From his
desk, he could only hear his staff, now returning to
God knows what work they wanted to finish before going
to bed.
"I'm not saying he didn't like them, CJ. I thought
they looked fine on him," Sam assured her.
"And I'm just saying, I would hate it if he didn't
like them."
"CJ." This was Toby.
"Am I doing it again?"
"You're doing it again," Sam confirmed.
"I didn't think I was doing it again."
"Well, you were."
"I tried not to do it again."
"CJ," Toby pleaded.
"I mean, I'm making an effort not to do it again. I'm
just saying --"
"Go to bed, would you?" Leo shouted.
CJ's head suddenly appeared around the door. "Leo."
"Hi, CJ."
"You're still here?"
"Evidence would suggest."
"Do you think Josh would wear something I gave him
even though he didn't like it, just to make me think
he liked it?"
"I could honestly care less."
"Do you think I'm doing it again?"
Leo cocked his head. "Nah," he said.
"Thank you," CJ said, and disappeared.
"Of course, I really don't know what 'it' is," Leo
called after her.
"Being crazy!" she shouted back.
"Oh." Leo paused. "Well, is it too late to change my
answer?"
"You're doing it again," Sam called, his voice
filtering from another part of the office. Toby
responded from the opposite direction with, "Shut up!"
"Where's the President?" Sam asked.
"In bed," Leo said. "Which is where you all should
be."
"You're here, too," CJ accused.
"I'm also your boss," Leo warned, and CJ retreated to
her office.
At last it was silent. At last Leo could reflect on a
seven five outcome in the House. And on the look on
Zoey's face that had lingered from whatever nice thing
was happening between herself and Charlie. And on
President Bartlet's slaughter of the long-dead
honeymoon. And on the passage of time since the --
"New England clam chowder is another one," said a
familiar and Presidential voice from the door.
"Oh, dear God," Leo said, and put his head down on his
desk. But a moment later he raised it again to meet
Jed's eyes. Slowly, a smile lit his face.
"Yeah," the President said. "We have come through."
And quiet though his voice was, everyone heard it.