FF: The Reluctant President (5/?)
Title: The Reluctant President (5/?)
Author: caitrin
Rating: Oh, I guess PG-13. Sam gets upset. There's some language.
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.
Sam gave a quick statement to the press corps, telling them about the travel plans and the next day's speech and press conference. Then he found the few staff members who had been traveling with the President waiting in another room. He told them that a plane would be there soon for anyone who wanted to head back to Washington.
"And look - we're going to be doing some shuffling of staff, of course, but I don't want anyone to feel like they're being pushed out." He looked around the room. They all looked shell-shocked. "After what you've all been through, no one would think less of you if you chose to walk away. Please try to let us know within a week or so whether you're interested in a position in the Lyman administration. Take some time off and think about it. We will be bringing in trauma specialists for anyone who'd like to speak with them. Please consider making use of this service whether or not you plan to continue working with us. Any questions?"
They shook their heads wearily.
"We just hired Danny Concannon and he'll be staffing the President until he gets back to Washington. I didn't want to ask any of you to work right now." Sam wondered if it was obvious that the real issue was that he didn't really trust any of them right now. "You can either head back to DC with the press corps or stay here with the Santos family. It's up to you. If you decide to stay here and need help finding accommodations, call the office. Scheduling and Advance will find you something. But keep in mind that all commercial flights are grounded, so if you don't go tonight, you may be stuck here for a few days."
"Where are you going?" someone called out.
"What?"
"You said Danny Concannon will be staffing the President. Where will you be?"
"The President has asked me to do something else for him tonight, so Danny will be traveling with him," Sam hedged. "We will be in constant contact via cell phone, and I should be back in Washington tomorrow."
"But - "
Sam cut him off smoothly. "I'm sorry, but I can't give any details about my plans right now. If you need anything, call the office. They'll route you to me or whoever there can help you."
As Sam left the room, he felt mildly guilty about treating the staff so coldly, but Ron's words about someone on the inside rang in his ears. He returned to the conference room to say goodbye to the President and Danny and gather his things.
"Do you have a change of clothes or anything?" Danny asked. "A toothbrush?"
"I'll . . . figure something out," Sam said vaguely.
"Here." Josh handed him a slip of paper with an address in Madison scribbled on it.
"Is that her address?" Sam frowned.
"Her parents. She graduated from a college in Madison last month so I hope that means she was living home. But her parents should know where she is, in any case. God, I hope they haven't moved."
"This is their address from - what, her old personnel file? You REMEMBER that?"
Josh just shrugged.
"What do you want me to say to her, exactly?" Sam asked.
Josh shrugged again. "You're the word guy."
"Mr. President . . ."
"Tell her I need her to come back."
"Back?" Sam asked. "That sounds like you want her to come work for you."
"No!"
"She's going to think you want her to be your Mrs. Landingham," Danny put in.
"I don't," Josh said quickly. "I mean, God, she would be great at it, but - no."
"So if she asks about that," Sam said patiently, "I should say . . ."
"Tell her I'm offering her a different position in the Administration."
"Mr. President . . ."
Josh suddenly looked Sam straight in the eye. "Tell her to come be First Lady."
Danny whistled softly.
"No," Sam said flatly.
"No?" Josh looked stunned. "You think it's a bad idea?"
"I think it's a GREAT idea," Sam said. "I think it's quite possibly the only idea you've had in years that won't somehow lead to your own misery."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I'm not proposing for you."
"You'd do a better job than I would."
"Well, that's undoubtedly true," Sam allowed. "But no. I have to draw a line somewhere, Mr. President. And anyway, don't you think that's a little - abrupt?"
"What?"
"You haven't seen or spoken with her in years."
"So?"
"You're the President, sir. You're not fucking Henry VIII. You can't just send an emissary to order some unsuspecting woman to marry you and carry her off by force. I won't do it, damn it."
Josh glared at him and took a few long breaths. Then his face softened. "You're right. Of course you're right. I just - "
"I know," Sam said. "I'm sorry."
"I know."
"I think you have a better chance of getting what you want here if you slow down a little. You don't want her to think this is a snap decision because you're desperate and terrified."
"It isn't!" Josh protested.
"I know that, but will she? Besides, for all we know she could be married or something."
Josh looked crushed. "How could she . . ."
"You never told her how you felt. You can't blame her if she didn't read your mind."
"But she always read my mind!"
Sam shrugged. "Things happen. I'm just saying."
"Well, tell her - tell her it would mean a lot if she would come be my friend, if nothing else."
Sam smiled. "I will. And Mr. President?"
"Yeah?"
"You really should yell at me for swearing at you like that. Especially in front of another member of the staff." He glanced over at Danny, who gave a wry smile.
"I should," Josh agreed. "But I'll let you slide this time. We're all still learning how to do this."
Author: caitrin
Rating: Oh, I guess PG-13. Sam gets upset. There's some language.
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.
Sam gave a quick statement to the press corps, telling them about the travel plans and the next day's speech and press conference. Then he found the few staff members who had been traveling with the President waiting in another room. He told them that a plane would be there soon for anyone who wanted to head back to Washington.
"And look - we're going to be doing some shuffling of staff, of course, but I don't want anyone to feel like they're being pushed out." He looked around the room. They all looked shell-shocked. "After what you've all been through, no one would think less of you if you chose to walk away. Please try to let us know within a week or so whether you're interested in a position in the Lyman administration. Take some time off and think about it. We will be bringing in trauma specialists for anyone who'd like to speak with them. Please consider making use of this service whether or not you plan to continue working with us. Any questions?"
They shook their heads wearily.
"We just hired Danny Concannon and he'll be staffing the President until he gets back to Washington. I didn't want to ask any of you to work right now." Sam wondered if it was obvious that the real issue was that he didn't really trust any of them right now. "You can either head back to DC with the press corps or stay here with the Santos family. It's up to you. If you decide to stay here and need help finding accommodations, call the office. Scheduling and Advance will find you something. But keep in mind that all commercial flights are grounded, so if you don't go tonight, you may be stuck here for a few days."
"Where are you going?" someone called out.
"What?"
"You said Danny Concannon will be staffing the President. Where will you be?"
"The President has asked me to do something else for him tonight, so Danny will be traveling with him," Sam hedged. "We will be in constant contact via cell phone, and I should be back in Washington tomorrow."
"But - "
Sam cut him off smoothly. "I'm sorry, but I can't give any details about my plans right now. If you need anything, call the office. They'll route you to me or whoever there can help you."
As Sam left the room, he felt mildly guilty about treating the staff so coldly, but Ron's words about someone on the inside rang in his ears. He returned to the conference room to say goodbye to the President and Danny and gather his things.
"Do you have a change of clothes or anything?" Danny asked. "A toothbrush?"
"I'll . . . figure something out," Sam said vaguely.
"Here." Josh handed him a slip of paper with an address in Madison scribbled on it.
"Is that her address?" Sam frowned.
"Her parents. She graduated from a college in Madison last month so I hope that means she was living home. But her parents should know where she is, in any case. God, I hope they haven't moved."
"This is their address from - what, her old personnel file? You REMEMBER that?"
Josh just shrugged.
"What do you want me to say to her, exactly?" Sam asked.
Josh shrugged again. "You're the word guy."
"Mr. President . . ."
"Tell her I need her to come back."
"Back?" Sam asked. "That sounds like you want her to come work for you."
"No!"
"She's going to think you want her to be your Mrs. Landingham," Danny put in.
"I don't," Josh said quickly. "I mean, God, she would be great at it, but - no."
"So if she asks about that," Sam said patiently, "I should say . . ."
"Tell her I'm offering her a different position in the Administration."
"Mr. President . . ."
Josh suddenly looked Sam straight in the eye. "Tell her to come be First Lady."
Danny whistled softly.
"No," Sam said flatly.
"No?" Josh looked stunned. "You think it's a bad idea?"
"I think it's a GREAT idea," Sam said. "I think it's quite possibly the only idea you've had in years that won't somehow lead to your own misery."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I'm not proposing for you."
"You'd do a better job than I would."
"Well, that's undoubtedly true," Sam allowed. "But no. I have to draw a line somewhere, Mr. President. And anyway, don't you think that's a little - abrupt?"
"What?"
"You haven't seen or spoken with her in years."
"So?"
"You're the President, sir. You're not fucking Henry VIII. You can't just send an emissary to order some unsuspecting woman to marry you and carry her off by force. I won't do it, damn it."
Josh glared at him and took a few long breaths. Then his face softened. "You're right. Of course you're right. I just - "
"I know," Sam said. "I'm sorry."
"I know."
"I think you have a better chance of getting what you want here if you slow down a little. You don't want her to think this is a snap decision because you're desperate and terrified."
"It isn't!" Josh protested.
"I know that, but will she? Besides, for all we know she could be married or something."
Josh looked crushed. "How could she . . ."
"You never told her how you felt. You can't blame her if she didn't read your mind."
"But she always read my mind!"
Sam shrugged. "Things happen. I'm just saying."
"Well, tell her - tell her it would mean a lot if she would come be my friend, if nothing else."
Sam smiled. "I will. And Mr. President?"
"Yeah?"
"You really should yell at me for swearing at you like that. Especially in front of another member of the staff." He glanced over at Danny, who gave a wry smile.
"I should," Josh agreed. "But I'll let you slide this time. We're all still learning how to do this."