FF: The Reluctant President (4/?)
Title: The Reluctant President (4/?)
Author: caitrin
Rating: Let's say PG for this one.
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: About a year into the Santos administration - now the beginning of the Lyman administration.
General Note: In this world, things went AU in season six when Donna quit.
Shortly after Sam and Josh got off the phone with Mrs. Lyman, an agent showed Danny into the room.
Josh looked up at him. "Danny. Glad you could join us."
"I serve at the pleasure of the President."
"Thanks. Boy, that sounds weird. Take a seat," Josh instructed.
Just then Ron appeared at the door. "I have an update for you, Mr. President."
"Go ahead, Ron."
"Yang and his team are on their way to meet your mother. We have the details for you and Mr. Seaborn organized, and Mr. Seaborn's plane will be ready in about ten minutes. We're hoping to get Air Force One off the ground within an hour, and another plane for the rest of the staff and press corps will be ready soon. Oh, and here are your phones." He put three secure cell phones on the table.
"Thanks, Ron," Josh said.
"Ron, I just have a few things to finish up here, and then I'll be ready to go," Sam said.
"That's fine, Mr. Seaborn."
"Okay. Let's just plan out the next few hours," Sam said. "Once you get back to Washington and I have an update from Wisconsin, I'm sure we'll have to adjust the plan anyway."
Josh showed Danny the list of names. "These are people we have to call."
Danny nodded, recognizing most of the names. "Who's Stanley?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."
"Fine. So who's calling whom?"
"I can call everyone first," Sam offered.
"No," Josh said firmly. "You call Will and make sure things are functioning at the office. I need to call Toby, CJ, and Charlie myself. They're all out of the game. If I'm asking them to get back in, it needs to come from me."
"Fine," Sam said.
"Actually, uh, Mr. President?" Danny said.
"Go ahead."
"I'd like to call CJ first if that's okay with you. I'd like her to hear about my little career switch from me."
"Yeah, yeah, of course."
"And we're not calling the Bartlets," Sam said.
"Why not?"
"We can't look like we're unsure of what we're doing," Sam said. "Your first act can't be calling President Bartlet to ask for help."
"Oh." Josh's face fell. "I guess you're right. But I really wish I could talk to him."
"Look, I'll talk to Charlie after you do, and I'll mention that it would be nice for you to hear from Zoey and her family. I'm sure they'll come in for the funeral, anyway."
"Fine. What else?"
"I'm going to offer Will Acting Communications Director, if that's okay with you."
Josh hesitated.
"You know Toby's not going to want it, even if he does come back," Sam told him. "CJ won't either. We'll make them both Senior Advisors to the President."
"Yeah, you're right," Josh admitted.
"I'm also going to ask Will to supervise the household staff packing up what you'll need for the next few days. Then they can move the rest of your things."
"Move?"
"To the White House, Mr. President."
"Oh, God." Josh buried his face in his hands. "I hadn't even thought about that. Do I have to?"
Sam and Danny exchanged a look.
"Legally, I'm not sure," Sam said carefully. "But from a PR standpoint? Absolutely."
Josh looked at Danny. "You agree?"
"Yes. The last thing the country needs right now is an empty White House." Danny suddenly realized that he had just advised the President for the first time. He felt a little dizzy.
"Fine," Josh grumbled. "Yeah, get Will to do it. He's the one I trust most of the staff there. And for God's sake, keep Amy away from it. And me, for that matter."
Danny chuckled. "So what exactly should I be doing?" he asked Sam.
"You make all the phone calls. Make sure you have the right person, then say 'Please hold for the President of the United States' and hand the phone over," Sam instructed. "You need to answer the phone, too. Don't let anyone who's not on this list talk to him without checking with me first."
"Got it. And when we finish those phone calls?"
Sam thought for a minute. He knew Josh would go crazy if he didn't have enough to do. "Start getting ready for tomorrow night. Mr. President, you should make some notes about what you want to say, and between me, Toby, and Will, we'll get the speech written tomorrow. And then start prepping for the questions you're going to get." He looked at Danny. "You can come up with some practice questions, right?"
"I think I can manage," Danny said dryly.
"Oh, right." Sam suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "God, you ARE going to useful to have around."
"Yeah, well, I try."
"You should also start thinking about a VP short list," Sam told the President. "You're probably going to get the question, and since you weren't going run for a second term with President Santos, it won't seem premature for us to have a short list."
"I'm throwing out that short list," Josh said impatiently. "I now have a short list of one."
"What?" Sam said, stunned. "How can you possibly . . . who?"
"Think about it." Josh smiled slightly. "It'll come to you."
Author: caitrin
Rating: Let's say PG for this one.
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: About a year into the Santos administration - now the beginning of the Lyman administration.
General Note: In this world, things went AU in season six when Donna quit.
Shortly after Sam and Josh got off the phone with Mrs. Lyman, an agent showed Danny into the room.
Josh looked up at him. "Danny. Glad you could join us."
"I serve at the pleasure of the President."
"Thanks. Boy, that sounds weird. Take a seat," Josh instructed.
Just then Ron appeared at the door. "I have an update for you, Mr. President."
"Go ahead, Ron."
"Yang and his team are on their way to meet your mother. We have the details for you and Mr. Seaborn organized, and Mr. Seaborn's plane will be ready in about ten minutes. We're hoping to get Air Force One off the ground within an hour, and another plane for the rest of the staff and press corps will be ready soon. Oh, and here are your phones." He put three secure cell phones on the table.
"Thanks, Ron," Josh said.
"Ron, I just have a few things to finish up here, and then I'll be ready to go," Sam said.
"That's fine, Mr. Seaborn."
"Okay. Let's just plan out the next few hours," Sam said. "Once you get back to Washington and I have an update from Wisconsin, I'm sure we'll have to adjust the plan anyway."
Josh showed Danny the list of names. "These are people we have to call."
Danny nodded, recognizing most of the names. "Who's Stanley?"
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."
"Fine. So who's calling whom?"
"I can call everyone first," Sam offered.
"No," Josh said firmly. "You call Will and make sure things are functioning at the office. I need to call Toby, CJ, and Charlie myself. They're all out of the game. If I'm asking them to get back in, it needs to come from me."
"Fine," Sam said.
"Actually, uh, Mr. President?" Danny said.
"Go ahead."
"I'd like to call CJ first if that's okay with you. I'd like her to hear about my little career switch from me."
"Yeah, yeah, of course."
"And we're not calling the Bartlets," Sam said.
"Why not?"
"We can't look like we're unsure of what we're doing," Sam said. "Your first act can't be calling President Bartlet to ask for help."
"Oh." Josh's face fell. "I guess you're right. But I really wish I could talk to him."
"Look, I'll talk to Charlie after you do, and I'll mention that it would be nice for you to hear from Zoey and her family. I'm sure they'll come in for the funeral, anyway."
"Fine. What else?"
"I'm going to offer Will Acting Communications Director, if that's okay with you."
Josh hesitated.
"You know Toby's not going to want it, even if he does come back," Sam told him. "CJ won't either. We'll make them both Senior Advisors to the President."
"Yeah, you're right," Josh admitted.
"I'm also going to ask Will to supervise the household staff packing up what you'll need for the next few days. Then they can move the rest of your things."
"Move?"
"To the White House, Mr. President."
"Oh, God." Josh buried his face in his hands. "I hadn't even thought about that. Do I have to?"
Sam and Danny exchanged a look.
"Legally, I'm not sure," Sam said carefully. "But from a PR standpoint? Absolutely."
Josh looked at Danny. "You agree?"
"Yes. The last thing the country needs right now is an empty White House." Danny suddenly realized that he had just advised the President for the first time. He felt a little dizzy.
"Fine," Josh grumbled. "Yeah, get Will to do it. He's the one I trust most of the staff there. And for God's sake, keep Amy away from it. And me, for that matter."
Danny chuckled. "So what exactly should I be doing?" he asked Sam.
"You make all the phone calls. Make sure you have the right person, then say 'Please hold for the President of the United States' and hand the phone over," Sam instructed. "You need to answer the phone, too. Don't let anyone who's not on this list talk to him without checking with me first."
"Got it. And when we finish those phone calls?"
Sam thought for a minute. He knew Josh would go crazy if he didn't have enough to do. "Start getting ready for tomorrow night. Mr. President, you should make some notes about what you want to say, and between me, Toby, and Will, we'll get the speech written tomorrow. And then start prepping for the questions you're going to get." He looked at Danny. "You can come up with some practice questions, right?"
"I think I can manage," Danny said dryly.
"Oh, right." Sam suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "God, you ARE going to useful to have around."
"Yeah, well, I try."
"You should also start thinking about a VP short list," Sam told the President. "You're probably going to get the question, and since you weren't going run for a second term with President Santos, it won't seem premature for us to have a short list."
"I'm throwing out that short list," Josh said impatiently. "I now have a short list of one."
"What?" Sam said, stunned. "How can you possibly . . . who?"
"Think about it." Josh smiled slightly. "It'll come to you."