Late, but in! Will's Entry!
498 Words
(With The Title It’s 500)
By: vegawriters
Character: Will Bailey
This is for: sangerin who wanted Will paired with Kate, a post-administration story with mention of Will's sister, and what Kate's book was about.
Rating: K
Word Count: 498 (And yes, with the Title, it’s 500)
Spoilers: This is Post-Admin, so really, it’s any ep that had Will in it.
Disclaimer: He’s not mine! But if he were, I’d be a happier woman. Hire me, don’t sue me. It would be a much more pleasant experience for both of us.
A/N: Thank you to Aaron Sorkin’s brilliance for the title inspiration.
Summary: I’ve written for sitting and potential presidents, run campaigns that caused people to die, worked as both the Deputy Director of Communications and the Director of Communications for the Bartlet White House, been Chief of Staff to a Vice President, and now I’m a Congressman for Oregon.
I’m a long way from those first 498 words I wrote for Toby Zeigler. Those were 498 of the best words I’d ever put together in my life; the acceptance speech I gave back in November was quite possibly the worst drivel that I’ve ever penned. I’ve written for sitting and potential presidents, run campaigns that caused people to die, worked as both the Deputy Director of Communications and the Director of Communications for the Bartlet White House, been Chief of Staff to a Vice President, and now I’m a Congressman for Oregon. Yet, despite this resume, it appears my legacy will be the speech I wrote at 3 AM when my opponent finally conceded that the people of Oregon had chosen another. I’ll be glad when the TV heads stop talking about my victory so that I can listen to the real concerns of the people in my state.
Congressman William Bailey. I know I’m in over my head. Kate’s reassurances or not, I’m in over my head. The people of Oregon voted for change, they voted for me (dear god, I’m still thinking in my campaign slogans). Now they’ve got me, a quivering, freshman representative who is fresh out of a White House that a lot of people hated and allied with a White House that a lot of people now hate.
Yes, Kate’s reassurances aside, I’m in WAY over my head.
CJ tells me that since I’ve stood at the press podium, I can do anything. Elsie is cracking jokes at my expense and I’m about to take her off that position as the fifth man on an eleven man writing team and make her work for me. Kate swears up and down that the doofy young Senator in her book isn’t based on me, but she also swears that the bombastic, know-it-all but loveable professor protagonist isn’t Bartlet.
The people of Oregon pay for my tiny office on the bottom floor of the Capitol building. It’s just big enough for a desk that I think I have to share with my intern. I’ve been here exactly three days and I understand why people work so hard to get reelected - it’s to get one of the fancy offices up on the other floors. (By fancy I mean there are two rooms and three desks.) Helping my constituents be damned, I want office space. My offices in the West Wing were larger.
Even in my tiny, cramped office in the one building where I should be able to get something done for the people of the United States, I’m wondering if anything I do will really matter. Will they really care if I can or can’t pass that piece of legislation? Or will they just forget that I’m here, serving in their name, until two years from now when I’m again knocking on doors and reminding them of why they voted for change in the first place?
It’s a long way from those first 498 words.
(With The Title It’s 500)
By: vegawriters
Character: Will Bailey
This is for: sangerin who wanted Will paired with Kate, a post-administration story with mention of Will's sister, and what Kate's book was about.
Rating: K
Word Count: 498 (And yes, with the Title, it’s 500)
Spoilers: This is Post-Admin, so really, it’s any ep that had Will in it.
Disclaimer: He’s not mine! But if he were, I’d be a happier woman. Hire me, don’t sue me. It would be a much more pleasant experience for both of us.
A/N: Thank you to Aaron Sorkin’s brilliance for the title inspiration.
Summary: I’ve written for sitting and potential presidents, run campaigns that caused people to die, worked as both the Deputy Director of Communications and the Director of Communications for the Bartlet White House, been Chief of Staff to a Vice President, and now I’m a Congressman for Oregon.
I’m a long way from those first 498 words I wrote for Toby Zeigler. Those were 498 of the best words I’d ever put together in my life; the acceptance speech I gave back in November was quite possibly the worst drivel that I’ve ever penned. I’ve written for sitting and potential presidents, run campaigns that caused people to die, worked as both the Deputy Director of Communications and the Director of Communications for the Bartlet White House, been Chief of Staff to a Vice President, and now I’m a Congressman for Oregon. Yet, despite this resume, it appears my legacy will be the speech I wrote at 3 AM when my opponent finally conceded that the people of Oregon had chosen another. I’ll be glad when the TV heads stop talking about my victory so that I can listen to the real concerns of the people in my state.
Congressman William Bailey. I know I’m in over my head. Kate’s reassurances or not, I’m in over my head. The people of Oregon voted for change, they voted for me (dear god, I’m still thinking in my campaign slogans). Now they’ve got me, a quivering, freshman representative who is fresh out of a White House that a lot of people hated and allied with a White House that a lot of people now hate.
Yes, Kate’s reassurances aside, I’m in WAY over my head.
CJ tells me that since I’ve stood at the press podium, I can do anything. Elsie is cracking jokes at my expense and I’m about to take her off that position as the fifth man on an eleven man writing team and make her work for me. Kate swears up and down that the doofy young Senator in her book isn’t based on me, but she also swears that the bombastic, know-it-all but loveable professor protagonist isn’t Bartlet.
The people of Oregon pay for my tiny office on the bottom floor of the Capitol building. It’s just big enough for a desk that I think I have to share with my intern. I’ve been here exactly three days and I understand why people work so hard to get reelected - it’s to get one of the fancy offices up on the other floors. (By fancy I mean there are two rooms and three desks.) Helping my constituents be damned, I want office space. My offices in the West Wing were larger.
Even in my tiny, cramped office in the one building where I should be able to get something done for the people of the United States, I’m wondering if anything I do will really matter. Will they really care if I can or can’t pass that piece of legislation? Or will they just forget that I’m here, serving in their name, until two years from now when I’m again knocking on doors and reminding them of why they voted for change in the first place?
It’s a long way from those first 498 words.