Story [The West Wing] Dynasty (Vignettes in the Mav-and-Bri-verse)

It's okay. It didn't come off as weird or snarky at all (nor did the original comment come off as ablest). It isn't something able bodied people encounter in your daily lives, and that's not your fault. I think recognizing one's privileges is super important. We all come from different "vantage points". I'm a strong disabled woman, who was raised by a deaf grandfather and a blind father. For lack of a better way to put it, I live this crap (obviously) and I've witnessed others have to negotiate their pride and their disability. Maybe my activism can come off a bit... strong (again going back to how I was raised) but writing is how I show people the less touched upon" aspects of disability. Not that I think you need to be "schooled in the ways of the gimps". But I was once reading an article about how people write fan fiction to 'fill in' what is missing from mainstream media (LGBTQ+ characters, characters with disabilities, etc.) and I enjoy bringing light to these "less touched upon" issues.

ANYWAYS, ALL THIS HAS GIVEN A PLOT BUNNY TO PULL A FULL ON SORKIN (writing what I know).

HEHEHEHE. AKA Presidents and Vice Presidents and their egos

BAHAHAHA. This makes me so happy! I was so nervous writing your OCs, but they are a HOOT and I love them!

BAHAHAHA. They are pouting like little boys! Then again, we do know their fathers. Josh could get a little pouty

Yeah, I'm not sure about Marc (HEY! HE'S YOUR OC!), but I kinda based Rosamie after a friend of mine. I think Rosamie is the daughter of immigrants, raised very middle class, became a lawyer and somehow ended up with Santos How, nobody knows, because she is way too good for him

YOUR MUSE NEEDS TO TAKE THE SAME DRUGS THAT MINE IS APPARENTLY TAKING!!

Yeah, very bittersweet, but from where season 7 left off, I think it is fitting. And, unlike their predecessors, Leo and Elvie have their mothers to deal with

BAHAHAHA. This makes me so happy.

 

Title: Big Block Of Cheese
Timeframe: March 1, 2055
Characters: Leo Lyman, Leo-Vincente Santos, Josie Seaborn,
AN: Some of Josie’s speech is taken directly from “Crackpots and These Women”. There will be a “part 2” to this.



The vice president of the United States sat at the back of the Roosevelt Room, scrolling through briefings on his tablet at eating his breakfast: cubed cheese, out of a reusable container. He wore his usual three-piece suit and blue tie.

Junior and senior members of the west wing staff began to file in, notice the vice president, then awkwardly look around. The Lyman administration had been in power for a few weeks now. Vice President Santos had been a familiar sight as he generally split his time evenly between the west wing and the OEOB, but he never sat in for general White House morning staff meetings like this.

Elvie casually waved them to sit down. “I’m not really here,” he said. He was only here for the entertainment, not the meeting itself.

More staff entered and sat. Eventually Josie Seaborn, Chief of Staff to the President of the United States walked in wearing a suit and carrying a stack of folders. “Good morning. President Andrew Jackson, in the main foyer of his White House -”

She was interrupted by the entranced of the President of the United States. When Leo Lyman entered, everyone stood… except for Elvie.

“Sorry Josie!” he exclaimed in a loud whisper, patting her back and fixing his orange tie. “Please, ignore me and continue.” Leo did his best to silently slip to the back of the room and sit beside Elvie.

Elvie offered his glass container of cheese to the president as everyone else sat. “I offer to share my cheese as a sign of respect, Mr. President.”

Leo took a few cubes of marbled cheese.

Josie gave the two the slightest hint of an annoyed look, before continuing. “President Andrew Jackson, in the main foyer of his White House had a big block of cheese.”

There were whispers and snickers at the absurdity of the statement. Someone distinctly said, “We aren’t really doing this, are we?”

The reply was, “I thought this was a myth.”

“Yes, we are really doing this. Any hecklers are being listed in my head and I will seek retribution,” Josie said with a sigh before continuing. “The block of cheese was huge--over two tons. And it was there for any and all who might be hungry.”

“That’s a lot of cheese,” Elvie said to Leo, who began to snicker.

Josie casted them another look that was - for a spit second - disapproving. “Jackson wanted the White House to belong to the people, so from time to time, he opened his doors to those who wished an audience.”

“Then he turned them into cheese,” Leo whispered.

“More cheese for everyone. It’s the Democratic way,” Elvie nodded. “Jackson was onto something.”

Josie was ignoring them. “It is in the spirit of Andrew Jackson that the late Leo McGarry, Chief of Staff to President Josiah Bartlet, running mate of President Matthew Santos, and for whom your esteemed president and vice president are named after, began Big Block of Cheese Day.”

“What did your dad call it?” Elvie asked the president.

“Total Crackpot Day,” Leo said with a nostalgic nod. “And he loved inflicting it on other people.”

Josie went on. “Leo McGarry’s tradition began in Josiah Bartlet’s White House and was continued by Joshua Lyman in both the Santos administration and the Seaborn administration.”

Elvie and Leo continued to whisper.

“In one sentence she mentioned the man we are named after, the man she is named after, your father, my father, and her father,” Elvie pointed out.

“And big block of cheese day. I think that might be a record.”

Meanwhile, Josie was explaining her intentions further as she handed out folders to the room. “I am now re-instating it. From time to time, I will ask senior staff to have face-to-face meetings with those people representing organizations who have a difficult time getting our attention. I know the more jaded among you see this as something rather beneath you. But I assure you that listening to the voices of passionate Americans is beneath no one, and surely not the peoples' servants.” Josie then got to the back of the room and extended the last folder to Elvie with a grin.

Elvie looked to Leo in horror.

Leo put his hands in the air. “Hey, we figured it would keep you busy while some of us have actual jobs.”

Elvie took the folder. “Yeah, and some of us take time to listen to the concerns of the people.” He opened the folder as he looked at Josie. “What do I have?”

“Americans For Better Land Boarders.”

Elvie groaned. “Really? Send me to deal with a bunch of xenophobic white supremacists? They literally tried to prevent my birth. I know I was the Governor of Texas but the Mexican border security issue was solved with better economic ties, back like 25 years ago.”

“They don’t want to discuss Mexico.”

Elvie was confused at Josie’s words for a few moments before Leo began to laugh. “I told her to give you something good, but I didn’t think Josie would dig up something that good. I like this pet project. No wonder we are both named after Leo McGarry. The man was a genius.”

“Canada?” Elvie deadpanned. “You are sending me to meet with people on an issue that hasn’t been an issue for 250 years?”

“Well, I figured you would be the best person. You’re half-Canadian.” Josie smirked.

“So’s he!” Elvie pointed to Leo.

“Only by a technically,” Leo said, getting up. “I’d better go, do actual work. Have fun, Josie.”

Josie nodded to the president before turning back to the vice president. She held her hand open. “I can take it back and do it myself. I just wanted to prove a point about hecklers in my staff meeting for Big Block of Cheese Day.”

Elvie clutched the folder. “No. This could be fun. Scare them with the War of 1812.”

Josie shook her head. “You got nothing else to do today, do you?”

“Not a thing.”

 

Oh man, I can't tell you how much this was perfect for me right now. I had seen that you posted it before I got deployed, but things started moving really fast and I didn't get to read it. I'm sorry it took me so long to comment, but I'm so happy to have read this right now after being in disaster for 2 weeks.

I love Elvie just sitting there snacking on some cheese! I love that Josie is continuing Big Block of Cheese Day because it really is the best thing ever.

I love that she gives the president and VP an annoyed look and everyone just moves on. It's so perfect and really speaks to the relationship they all have.

(Oh man, that is huge, but it was too good not to use.)

Elvie and Leo just cracked me up, I think some of my teammates might think I'm crazy now I was laughing so hard.

And then the assignment Elvie gets and how Leo actually has nothing to do. That was fantastic!

I just love all of these guys and the way you write them is so great. I feel like I really know them.

 

It's okay. I'm glad it brought you some laughs in the middle of the craziness.

Elvie was just trying to be the peanut gallery.

And yeah, Big Block of Cheese Day is the best thing and Josie would totally be Leo's COS (I'm reminded of Bartlet's COS quote) and continue the tradition.

I think Josie is the only person who could deal with Leo and Elvie.

Bahahaha. I can totally imagine Josie giving them that expression.

BAHAHAHA! I think my housemates think I'm crazy too, so it's all good.

Thanks. These guys are seriously taking over my brain, so it is just been so much fun to develop them and their relationships. It's so weird to me that I'm writing OCs, but I'm having so much fun - even Marc and Rose are fun to write. As you will see in a few updates, Marc and Rose have basically demanded their own sit-com.

 

Title: Big Block Of Cheese - Part 2
Timeframe: March 1, 2055
Characters: Leo-Vincente Santos, Donna Lyman, Leo Lyman
AN: Of course there was going to be a part 2. Leo’s last line is from the season 3 episode Stirred and I just had to.



He could have been Prime Minister of Canada. Perhaps he should have pursued Canadian politics. He could have accepted the offer to study at the University of Toronto or McGill. Because he certainly wouldn’t be in this situation if he had.

Because Leo-Vincente Santos wondered if he was developing a tick. Was his eye twitching? His shoulder hurt - old injury from crashing a fighter jet and 20 years of using his arms to lift his body (another thing that wouldn’t have happened if he had decided to return to his mother’s homeland). He was getting old. But he couldn’t stretch, get out of his wheelchair, or even ask for a warm-compress.

Because he had to be polite - and his discomfort was keeping him awake. Because he was going on his second hour listening to three men and two women trying to persuade him that the US government needed to build a wall between American and Canada - a project that would destroy kilometres of wilderness and cost billions. Never-mind it was pointless. The US did not have a problem with illegal Canadian immigrants. The Canadian and US economies were so closely linked that it was actually scary for Canada. Plus, any illegal Canadian alien had to cross moose territory to get to the US and those animals were simply terrifying.

Finally, it had come apparent to Elvie that no one was going to come save him from this never-ending meeting. Not unless President Lyman had a heart attack.

No, that was a bad thing for Elvie to wish on his oldest friend.

Perhaps just really bad indigestion. Yeah, he hoped heartburn on Leo.

Elvie finally raised his hand. “Ladies, Gentlemen, thank you for bringing this to my attention.” He wasn’t going to try to argue with them. Part of him thought this was all part of some elaborate prank. He hoped it was, but he knew it wasn’t. “I will bring this concern to the attention of the Department of Immigration,” he blatantly lied. Just another confession to add to the list, but at least his priest would get a kick out of this one. He just wanted to get out of this room. “But we will have to consider our economic ties to Canada, plus the environment. Now, if you will excuse me, I have another meeting to get to.”

* * *

His “meeting” was with the “first mother.”

Elvie found Donna Lyman in the Residence, reading a book, wearing a sweater and a skirt. Donna lived at the White House to care for her grandchildren, but the president’s children were in school at this hour, along with his own.

She looked up and smiled as he entered. “Mr. Vice President.”

“Mrs. Lyman, I need -.” He then paused and looked around at the room - they were in the west sitting room. He had not been in this room since he was a child. Though the decor had changed, it still brought forward so much nostalgia. “I still remember when your son, Josie and I would play in here. You and my mom would have coffee in here if Josh, Sam, and my dad would be working late.”

Donna nodded, looking around as well. “Seems like a lifetime ago. We used to spike the coffee with Irish cream.”

Elvie laughed. “Somehow, knowing my mom, that doesn’t surprise me.”

“What do you need? And please, call me Donna, Dear.”

He hesitated. He now felt bad dragging her into his petty revenge plot. The woman had held him as he laid practically dying after he had crashed a fighter jet. If it weren’t for her kindness and compassion, he might have died alone that night. “It’s ‘Big Block of Cheese Day’ and I was going to get back at your son for sticking me in a pointless meeting, but it’s silly.”

She put her book on the coffee table. “I’m well aware of what shenanigans go on in the west wing: glued phones, confessing to kidnapping the Lindbergh baby, getting a dozen community actors to give your future husband a breakdown on election day.” She seemed lost in her memories for a moment. “Point is, even presidents need to be reminded that they are mere men - especially when he is the son of Joshua Lyman. Who better to remind him than his mother and his childhood friend?”

“Then you’d better call me Elvie if we are going to sell this.”

* * *

When Elvie was first shown his office in the west wing, he had wondered why so many past vice presidents - many being Republicans - had kept Vice President Joey Lucas’ desk lamp. The lamp itself was unremarkable, a simple silver desk lamp, but it could be turned on and off by the vice president’s secretary from his or her desk outside. Joey Lucas had needed it so she could tell if someone wanted to enter, due to her being deaf. Initially Elvie had been confused as to why it had remained in the office. He had kept it since Lucas was a huge supporter of him, and a reminder that another physical disabled person had held this office, and held it with great respect.

But today he realized why so many able-bodied vice presidents had kept it as well. It served as a great - but silent - signal that the president was in the area.

As soon as the light flicked, Donna knew to start crying. She actually started bawling as she sat on the grey couch in his office. Elvie sat in front of her in his wheelchair and handed her his handkerchief. She scrupled it up and used it to wipe her face.

“It’s okay, Donna. We are going to figure this out,” he said, trying to sound comforting. He rubbed her forearm. “Rosamie is an immigration lawyer - and a damn good one - I’m going to call her and we are going to figure this out.”

They had left his office door open, so of course President Lyman heard his mother work herself up into a frenzy. “But… but the call said I had to leave the country for 90 days, then I could apply for some 6-month visitor’s visa before they could legally let me back in. Oh, I can’t go to Canada, Elvie. I’ve only been there once.”

By this time, Leo was entering the office. He sat down next to his mother and wrapped his arms around her. She immediately lost it, sobbing into Leo’s chest. Elvie was worried that this was going too far.

“Mom?” Leo pleaded. “What’s wrong and how can I make it better?”

Donna only let out a few choked whimpers.

“She got a call from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Apparently someone took issue with how your dad took care if the whole moved boarder situation and how they grandfathered in your mom’s American citizenship,” Elvie explained. Fifty years ago, Donna’s hometown had been moved from one side of the US-Canadian boarder. Leo’s father had dealt with the situation with perhaps too much efficiency, the crux of this prank.

“I’m sorry, Leo,” Donna heaved. “I didn’t want to worry you, so I thought Elvie could help.”

“And I am,” he said.

“No,” Leo said, shaking his head. “This is stupid, you’re my mother.” He began to get up. “Let me talk to someone at Immigration.”

“No,” she insisted. “Special treatment is what landed me here in the first place. And there is something else you should know. I’m not your mother. Margret is your real mother.” Margret had been his father’s weird secretary.

Elvie immediately started laughing. “I thought we were going with the half-brothers story!”

“No one would believe that his father,” she hitched a thumb at her son, who was now standing, “Was a six-foot-three Latino.”

Leo sat back down and rested his head in his hands. “I hate you both so much right now.” He pulled his hands down his face.

“Don’t do that, you look like your father when you do that,” she said, placing her forehead on his shoulder. “I didn’t even get to my Lindbergh baby confession.”

Leo got up and pointed at Elvie. “I’m going to get back at you for this.” He didn’t address his mother.

Elvie shrugged. “Go ahead - you can deport my mother for all I care. Actually, yes, please deport my mother.”

Leo simply shook his head as he headed for the door. “This isn’t why my dad called it ‘Total Crackpot Day’. Elvie, you are the craziest vice president since Aaron Burr and Burr shot a guy.”

“He killed the former treasury secretary! Is that my next Cheese day task?”

 

Oh man... that was amazing!!

Elvie dragging Donna into his evil plot was just perfect! I could totally see her doing that. And I'm so glad you worked her in, I've been wanting to knowing she's there in the White House, it just hasn't worked yet.

I don't blame Elvie for wanting revenge, talk about crackpots wanting a wall between Canada and the US. But their revenge plot was perfect!

I love that Elvie is having a moment of memories of his childhood and then Donna comes in with that. It's always so much fun to learn things like that when you are an adult. Well... sometimes it can be traumatizing too. But that was perfect.

And poor Leo, I bet he was so worked up thinking they were picking on his mom. His inner Josh certainly came out there! But when it got to Margaret is your mother, I started laughing so hard. The idea of Josh and Margaret having a child together... oh man. I just... I can't.

​

I love that you worked that in! And that Elvie got so excited! Hilarious! ​

I can't wait to see if Leo tries to get Elvie back. I can't help but think about TWWW and how Josh Malina doesn't believe in a proportional response. I could see enough Josh in Leo that he wouldn't understand that concept when it comes to pranks. ​

That really hit the spot for me! I'm going to be smiling all night. ​

 

Thank you. It popped into my brain and I just about died laughing and I had to write it (though I'm pretty sure I can say that for most of these vignettes.

Yeah, I've been wanting to use her more too, but these boys just have minds of their own.

Donna did kinda do that, didn't she? Though I'm sure she could tell him some fun... and some traumatizing things about his childhood and his parents, just like I'm sure the Santoses, Seaborns and Bartlets could do the same for Leo (oh goodness, here come the plot bunnies).

Bwah! He really did get worked up, didn't he. He certainly gets it from his father. But it is so fun to make them worked up (which I think why Donna and Marc tease their husbands so much!).

Oh I could never see it either, but it was just so ridiculous and a great way to "end" the harmless prank.

Oh, I've been wanting to use that for so long. And, in my head, Leo/Leo campaign won against a very far right incumbent, so Elvie would be totally down for some duels with the former administration.

​

Oh man. I've been wanting to write Leo getting Elvie back, but the plot bunny never bit... until now. Leo is totally going to take the Malina approach to pranks. It might take me a few weeks, and some backstory will need to be established, but it will be worth it.

I'm glad, because these plot bunnies just will not leave me alone.

Because I have so many of these vignettes backed up, and more keep coming (seriously, I finished another one and started Leo's prank revenge, both last night) I'm probably going to post 2 a week (then there's also my diary which I somehow got the update schedule messed up with my vacation, so you might get more of that too... I hope it isn't a WW overload ).

 

Title: You’re Not There
Timeframe: Summer 2054 (Pre, then post “Running Mates”)
Characters: Leo Lyman, Leo-Vincente Santos
AN: Plot bunnies are now breeding plot bunnies. Inspired by the balance between similarities and differences between Leo and Elvie as in “Morning After”. Title inspired by the song “You’re Not There”, which just captures these moments of grief long-after-the-fact so well.



Leo Lyman rarely visited his father’s grave. It wasn’t like he actively avoided it, but life was busy. Leo was a senator, a husband, and a father. He didn’t have time to make the trip to the cemetery. He just didn’t have time to sit silently by himself. And what was the point?

Leo was never raised in a particularly religious house - his dad was Jewish, but never spent any time on beliefs, and his mother was Protestant - Anglican to be precise - but also never practiced much. They celebrated Passover, Easter, Hanukkah, and Christmas, but that was it. When his father had died, Leo’s brother Noah had ensured all Jewish customs had been followed, but the Lymans were only Jewish when it came to births, deaths, and weddings.

Still, after the insanity of the past few months (primaries), there was something peaceful about walking in the grassy cemetery. It was a warm, but breezy, early July morning and Leo Lyman found himself alone. Well, alone save for the Secret Service now following as he was now the Democratic candidate for President of the United States of America, but he was used to them given that he had spent his childhood around presidents. He had so much work to do - the media was already speculating who he would pick as his running mate and he had to enter into debate negotiations with President Peterson’s campaign staff.

Frankly, this trip just an excuse for a few minutes alone with his thoughts.

He found his father’s grave as the Secret Service hung back near the path. It was a simple grave, on a hillside with an empty plot next to it. Leo shook his head at the the memory of his mother buying the plot, insisting that his father would rise from the dead if she weren’t laid to rest within yelling distance from him.

Awkwardly, Leo sat on the grass with a chuckle. He could still hear his father yelling “DONNA!” in his mind.

“So, I did it.” Leo spoke to the wind. “Well, I did it with Josie. Senator Chavez conceded and endorsed me last night. I’m the Democratic candidate for President, Dad. And it’s all thanks to you.”

Speaking out loud felt uncomfortable, but it made the past few hours finally feel real.

Leo continued, running his fingers across the raised letters on the humble headstone: Joshua Lyman - Beloved Father, Husband, and Friend. 1961 - 2038. “Mom is just beaming with pride, but you know mom. Anything would make her proud.” He sighed. “Josie has been so much help, and Marc and the kids are taking this all in stride. They are doing this for me and I love them so much. Noah has been so supportive and has even managed to bring Abi around… kinda. I’ve got to bring in more people now. I’m going to ask Elvie to run with me - it just makes sense. You picked his dad - it just feels right. Plus I’ve known him our entire lives.”

He was then overcome by a rare moment of selfish grief. Leo allowed himself to feel it, because he knew there wouldn’t be time for himself or the dead in coming months. “I wish you were here. You should be here for this.”

Leo knew it was an impossible desire. His father had been 49 when Leo had been born, not to mention Josh Lyman had led a high-stress lifestyle, and had been shot in the chest. Since Leo was a teenager, Leo knew his father wouldn’t be around as long as other kids had their fathers for. But it didn't make the absence any easier.

Leo sighed as his phone pinged. It was a text message from his assistant. She got a flight for him to Texas. His private campaign plane would be ready next week. “This is my life now. But of course you knew it well. Always asking what’s next. I guess I’m what’s next.”

He pressed his fingers to his lips, then touched his father’s name before standing back up. The dead were silent, but he knew his father would be smiling.

* * *

Leo-Vincente Santos rarely visited his father’s grave. It wasn’t like he actively avoided it, but life was busy. Elvie was the Governor of Texas, a husband, and a father. He didn’t have time to make the trip from where he worked in the State Capital in Austin to Houston - his father’s birthplace and final resting place. He just didn’t have time to sit silently by himself, and he didn’t like making the security personnel open up the Matthew Santos Presidential Library after hours so he could avoid the many other visitors. And what was the point?

Elvie was raised in a Roman Catholic home, had been baptized, and was even an alter-boy in his youth. His godparents had been President Josiah Bartlet and Dr. Abigail Bartlet. He was a God-fearing man… most days. If he needed religious council or spiritual guidance, he knew to go to a priest. The dead did not speak.

But after work, after Leo Lyman made his proposition, Elvie had gone home to ask his wife and let her process the possibility of him running for vice president, and then had made the two hour drive to Houston, mostly to be alone with his thoughts. But, he figured, since he was in Houston anyways, he might as well visit his father before going to have dinner out at the family ranch with his mother.

Elvie made his way through the empty library feeling awkward as it had been closed for him, to the courtyard and green gardens at the back of the large property. After making his way down a paved path, he reached the family cemetery - a square plain of grass, surrounded by tall plants; the only entrance was a gate. Elvie opened it and entered.

It was the family cemetery - his mother already had plans to be buried here, same with his siblings and himself - but it currently contained only one lonely grave: single white marble slab in the middle, about 6 feet long, 3 wide and 2 tall. Elvie rolled up to it, though the inscription could be read from a distance: Matthew Vincente Santos 1961-2048; Loving Husband, Father, and Grandfather. 44th President of the United States of America. Finally there was a quote from his father’s final speech as president: Have hope, for bright futures are made with hope. Elvie’s fingers danced over the words, but lingered on “futures”.

“Hey Dad.” He heaved a sigh, then said it. “I’m running for Vice President of the United States.” There was a calm in the air. “I told Leo Lyman I would tell him my final decision once Rose gave her okay, but I wanted to tell you first. It didn’t take much to convince Rose - perhaps that’s a good sign - perhaps this isn’t something you should convince people to let you do. She has her reservations, but she said she knew this was coming and this would prepare her for when I decide to run for President.” Elvie chuckled. “I still have to tell Mom. I’m procrastinating, if you couldn’t tell. She’s not going to be happy with me.” He shook his head.

“I know, back when you were running for presidential candidate, you said no to being the bottom of the ticket for two lesser men, but Leo isn’t a lesser man. I know people joke about vice president not being a real job - Rose has already started. But I feel like this is what I have to do now, and look towards the future.”

Elvie paused and let out a heavy breath. “But I wish you were here. You’d agree with my decision.” He knew that he had been lucky to have his father for 39 years of his life - Elvie had been born when his father had been 48. After Matthew Santos had left the White House, he had become a stay-at-home dad and Elvie considered himself privileged to have been raised by a former president. "You’d be proud, I know it.”

His phone interrupted his monologue. It was a text from his mother. “That’s Mom - probably wondering where I am and why I wanted to have dinner so abruptly,” he said, looking at his phone screen before tucking it back into his pocket. “I have to go,” he said in a whisper. “To have hope for a brighter future.”

He pressed his fingers to his lips, then touched his father’s name before turning around. The dead were silent, but he knew his father would be smiling.

 

There is no such thing as WW overload, so no worries there! I just wish my muse would let me finish a few of the plot bunnies that are jumping around so I'd have some for you to read!

Even though this is a somber moment, this made me laugh so hard because it's so true!! And so sweet in a Josh is strangely caveman like at times, but it's endearing on him.

And then right here you had me tearing up. I'm going to be weeping by the end, aren't I??

Yep. Totally crying.
Leo's right, Josh would be smiling and so, so proud. The line "But of course you knew it well. Always asking what’s next. I guess I’m what’s next.” was so perfect. I can really see Josh taking that and using it with his kids and Leo taking it to heart. Always moving forward and going for what you want.

And now I'm crying even harder. I don't know if you meant this as a subtle SW reference as the word hope has been used in everything, but it conjured those feelings of the first time after I saw Rogue One and Leia says "hope". That's such a beautiful quote and very fitting for Mathew Santos and for his son to read as he's considering running for VP.

That may be the biggest understatement ever. I don't know that Helen would take it all that well. Though maybe VP better than President... for now.
But I can see Matt's approval right away.


I LOVED the symmetry between the two men going to see their fathers to tell them the news, and to know how proud they'd be of them. It's heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time because I don't think either of them would ever doubt the love and pride of their fathers.

Beautiful!

 

Good! because some of these have been sitting around since August waiting to be posted and the muse just will not shut up.

Ahhhh! No pressure, but I'm really excited for whatever your muse decides to finish next, whenever it decides to finish it.

It is so Josh, but so sweet that his kids and Donna all know he loves her so much and loves having her close. Even if he yelled for her a lot, he yells because he wants her.

I didn't mean for this one to be THAT sad!!! But in that case, yeah, probably. I can't relate to the exact situation, but a lot of the emotions here are based on my own emotions.

Yeah, he'd give Leo such a hard time, but he would be so proud.
And yeah, Josh probably said that to his kids a lot/.

I'm SORRY I MADE YOU CRY SO HARD.

But, funny story, originally I had written "Have hope, for bright futures are built with hope" and it took me a day or two to figure out what I had subconsciously stole from, because Santos does use "hope" in one of his speeches. Then I figured it out and it started bugging me and taking me out of the story, so I changed it to be a bit more subtle, but still totally a RO nod. BECAUSE MATT SANTOS IS BASICALLY BAIL ORGANA (which, as Marc will point out, makes Elvie Princess Leia).

Helen was probably fairly ticked. Though yeah, it is better than President... for now

Thank you.

 

Title: Your Pride
Timeframe: 2054 (Immediately after “The Debate”, so you may want to re-read that one)
Characters: Elvie Santos, Rosamie Santos
AN: I’m going to develop some of the other OCs, but this came to me and I just really wanted to write because it is something I have struggled with (and still do) and have personally seen other people close to me deal with (so I’m pulling a Sorkin here). Plus it is lightly touched upon in TWW throughout the series with Bartlet’s MS, which I really appreciated. A tad of license was taken in terms of futuristic technology, specifically the exoskeleton (this IS 2054 and I am coming from Star Wars fanfic - let me have my touch of Sci-Fi). Another kinda serious one, but I had to post these in order since “smarmy bastard” will come up again in the next fic (which features Marc, Rose, and a lot of wine).



“Leo-Vincente, that was horse crap,” his wife bit out as soon as their heavy hotel room door shut behind him. She referred to the fact that he had spent an hour standing in his exoskeleton on live television. Under his blue suit, his carbon-fiber exoskeleton was still on him - something he wasn’t supposed to wear for more than a half hour. He was now going on his third hour with it on, though he was now sitting in his wheelchair - a sleek black titanium frame manual wheelchair without push-handles. He hurt - the carbon fiber rods and netting of the exoskeleton were tight on his body and the mechanical joints were squeezing his, making what limited sensation he had in his lower extremities be that of pressure to the point of pain.

After the Vice Presidential debate concluded, the Santos family had been placed into a campaign limousine and driven to their hotel for the night. It had been a chilly ride, but they never fought in front of the children. Once at the hotel, Elvie and Rosamie had placed their three children in the adjoining suite, and had even read their youngest a story, before going to their own room.

“I negotiated it. I agreed to it,” he said, not looking back at her. He was headed for the bathroom.

“Which is why I’m yelling at you and no one else,” Rosamie countered, slipping off her heels to follow him into the large bathroom. It was not large because they were lavish individuals; it was large to accommodate his needs.

“Well, you agreed to this campaign.” He turned to look at her, the motion causing him to wince in pain. “You could have said ‘no,’ you know. I would have respect it. But you didn’t take much convincing at all.” He was now pulling off his black tie.

“Because I’ve known this was another step to your dream. I agreed to this campaign because I know you and love you. I did not,” her voice turned from caring to angry in a moment. “I did not agree to you pushing your body way past its limits!”

He was now unbuttoning his vest and white shirt. “It’s a presidential campaign; we are all tired.” Under his shirt was the exoskeleton frame holding his torso. He fiddled with the control pack on his belt and the joints released; he began taking it off along with his pants. He knew she could hear his shoulders cracking.

“But you are the only one who this will cause lasting damage to. I swear to God, Elvie, if you have any pressure sores…” she trail off, letting out a breath. “You should be listening to your doctors. Your shoulders can’t take the abuse of your manual wheelchair, let alone propping yourself up in the damn exoskeleton.”

“I am not using a power chair, Rose. I’m an active person, not some invalid.” He had nothing against those who needed electric wheelchairs, but he was still able enough to lead an active life and his manual wheelchair gave him much more freedom than a power chair would. “I need to be able to get into any vehicle I need to, sometimes quickly. I need to be able to keep up and travel with Leo or Josie.”

Rosamie was unbuttoning her brown blazer, revealing the purple camisole underneath. “You are the only one of your childhood friends who crashed a fighter jet.” His injuries were not from some car accident or jump into a shallow pool. If they were, maybe all the stem-cell treatments his parents had paid for would have shown the result that they had prayed for. Elvie had made his peace with his disability – or so he thought - in a way his parents never had.

“Don’t you think I know that?” he snapped at her. “I was there when the controls stopped responding to me. I was there when they told my mom I’d likely require nursing care for the rest of my life. I was there when Josie’s mom herself - as President - medically retired me from service and saw my father cry for the only time in my life.” Knots formed in his stomach as he remembered being so helpless; feeling like such a disappointment to both his mother and father.

“I know I wasn’t there,” Rosamie gritted out as she leaned over to plug the bath. She turned on the water. “But I’m here now and I’ll be here when this is all over, no matter what the outcome is.”

“I know,” he said softly, taking her hand. “Thank you. But Leo picked me. I’m not use to people putting their confidence in me. I don’t want to let him down.”

She sighed. “I know. And you aren’t going to. But you’re a prideful man, Leo-Vincente. Prideful to the point of killing your body. I picked you too, and I’m the one who has to live with your miserable body. It’s okay to say you can’t do something.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “And when have you ever known me to admit something like that?”

She looked at him with a cocked eyebrow, then down at his shoes. “Fine,” she said. “You can give yourself a bath.”

“I thought that’s what you told me to do back in the limo. I don’t need your help,” he grumbled, leaning down to untie his black oxford dress shoes. His shoulder cracked - it had never been quite right since the crash, but now it burned with pain. He swore but she didn’t move.

“I know you don’t need my help, but I thought you would like it, before you turn yourself into some old man.”

After a moment of not moving, Elvie let out a breath. “Rosamie, how do you feel about having a bath with your handsome husband?”

“I feel like my husband is a smarmy bastard.”

He looked up at her, though he was still folded in half. He gave her a grin. “I love you. I know you love me too.”

She pulled up her skirt and knelt down. “Elvie, you got a big brain, a good heart, and an ego the size of Texas.”

“Yes, and you married me.” He leaned forward a few inches to kiss her. “I know you want to jump my bones right now.”

She laughed. “Only if you promise not to do anything so stupid again.”

“Hand to the Lord: no more exoskeleton this campaign.” He paused and smirked. “Standing frames and leg braces however….”

Rosamie swatted him. “Smarmy bastard.”

 

Oh man, I can't wait for that!

Yeeesssss!!!!



I'm not trying to compare at all because I don't have the challenges to overcome or deal with an ableist world that Elvie has to deal with, but I can certainly relate to the stubbornness even at your own detriment he feels here. But I can also relate to Rose in her fear of what it will do to him if he continues to push himself too far. It's so scary to stand by and watch someone do something you know hurts them and there's nothing you can do about it.
So while I may not know exactly what it's like to be him and the challenges he and Rose face, you've still made a very relatable story.

I love that she doesn't blame anyone but him. It would have been easy to blame Josie as the campaign manager, or blame Leo for the whole thing, but it was Elvie who made the decision. He did it because he felt he had to, which is awful, but it was still his. And I love how she's clearly angry, but she's angry because she loves him and doesn't want him to hurt himself further or be in pain. Her love for him really shines through in this.

I love that you included this. I know it's something that is a huge concern for people who use wheelchairs and so it's a part of everyday life, but I think it's something a lot of people don't think about. I think about it because I work in an ICU and we deal with it all the time from people laying in bed /sitting in a chair for long periods of time (and also the huge mask I sometimes strap to people's faces), but the amount of people who get upset that we move people around is astounding.

Woah. This was so emotional to read. Even though he's an OC and he doesn't have a real life voice, I feel like this was a moment that I could hear it. (Oh man, we need to cast these characters! I'm horrible at that, but it just hit me that it would be so much fun!) My heart hurt for him here. Even though I knew what happened to him, to read it in his words just really made it hit hard.

I loved the ending! It really shows their relationship and how close they are, and perfect for each other.

 

Yeah, I think with many of these topics it is hard to imagine ourselves in these exact situations, but I like that I can still write what we can relate to. Thank you.

Yeah, I think it is clear that this isn't Elvie's (or Rose's) first rodeo Though I imagine Governor of Texas vs VP are two totally different things. Still, Rose know him all too well. Yeah, it would have been easier to blame Josie or Leo but she knows Elvie is his own worst enemy and she has to save him from himself. Because, yeah, she loves him.

I (thankfully) don't really have problems with pressure sores since I can get up and move a bit, but I do have to still remember to shift positions occasionally if I'm sitting in a lecture or something. Last time I had a sore was in the Spring (which was the first time since high school probably) and somehow my friend who is a post-op nurse found out (I think my roommate might have tattled on me) and he came and yelled at me like I have never been yelled at before.

Thank you. I keep going back and forth on if I actually want to write Elvie's accident from his POV. On one hand, I really do like writing that sort of intensely emotional thing, but I've only written it in terms of Star Wars, and that universe (obviously) allows for much more creative license and I really don't know the medical or military stuff. Plus I, myself, have been disabled since a young age so I'm a bit afraid of messing something up, either with the medical stuff (though I have done research and know people who are disabled from accidents) or the emotions.

But as for OC-casting... Yeah, I suck at it too I just don't know that many celebrities. It also probably doesn't help that I see Elvie and Leo as looking a lot like their fathers. I thought about making them in The Sims, but I suck at that too (plus I would need to re-buy it and I don't know if I want to give myself into that time-suck). However, I think I have come up with who I would cast as Elvie and Rose. Elvie would be Lin Manuel Miranda (once you see it, you can't unseen it). And Rose would probably Keiko Agena (Lane Kim of Gimore Girl's and she played a very short-lived press secretary on Scandal - not that I made it that far on that show without wanting to kill the characters myself).

ANYWAYS, NOW I NEED TO KNOW who you would cast as Leo and Marc.

Than you (again) and yeah, these two are just so in love and so perfect to put up with each-other.

 

Title: Wine in the East Wing (part 1)
Timeframe: Mid-March 2055
Characters: Marc Lyman, Rosamie Santos, Elvie Santos, Leo Lyman
AN: These two demanded another fic and this turned into a very long intro to a part 2, which will basically be “story time with Marc and Rose”.


It was a dinner and reception for recently appointed ambassadors. Dignitaries from around the world were rubbing elbows and falsely grinning at small-talk over champaign. It was a high-class event, even by White House standards. Rosamie Santos wasn’t quite sure why she was dragged into this, but she quietly sipped her drink (though she was never one for champagne) as she stood beside her husband, holding his drink, as he talked with the ambassador from Spain. She felt awkward and out of place in her black lace dress among the glamorous gowns, but she didn’t like drawing attention to herself, though going with a humbler dress seemingly had the opposite effect. She felt relief as soon as she saw President Lyman and First Gentleman Marc Lyman.

However, as the first couple neared - both in tuxedos - it became clear that they were in the middle of a marital dispute. “Marc,” the president muttered under his fake smile, “Can we please not do this here, Dear?”

“Oh, you’ll get no argument from me, Love,” Marc replied, rolling his eyes so that only Rosamie could see. She hid her smirk with a sip. Marc continued, “Because I’m never allowed to do anything that might be interpreted as not supporting you one-hundred percent.”

“That’s not fair, Marc,” Leo glowered before instantly turning to Rosamie with a genuine smile. “Rose, looking positively stunning as usual.” He hugged her.

“Thank you Mr. President,” she said, smiling for the first time of the night.

“Don’t thank him,” Marc said, hugging Rosamie as well. “He’s a jackass.”

Leo Lyman let out a defeated sigh before bed stolen away by the South African ambassador.

“Issues, Mr. Lyman?” Rosamie asked.

Marc shook his head as he took a sip of his champaign. “Long story, Mrs. Santos.”

“You’re talking to the wife of the smarmist bastard in this room.”

“What did I do this time?” Elvie asked, reaching up to take his flute of champaign from her. He took a sip before giving it back.

“Made me come to this stupid thing to hold your alcohol so you could work the room because you know seven languages.”

“Five,” he corrected her. “Knowing what your parents are saying about me in Filipino and what my mother is yelling at me in Polish don’t count.”

She rolled her eyes but her reply was interrupted by President Lyman. At his side was Chief of Staff Josie Seaborn. “Elvie, I need you in the Situation Room. Riots in Brazil. They are saying the government is being overthrown. You know the country; you know the language.”

Elvie casted his wife the smallest of smug grins. “Knowing Portuguese comes in handy,” he whispered before following the president.

When their husbands were out of the room, Marc linked arms with Rosamie and sighed. “Rose, it looks like our husbands have abandoned us.”

She scanned the room. “I have no idea what to do here.” She might have had experience as a governor’s wife for eight years, but this was a whole different level of politics.

Marc laughed. “Who says we have to stay at the party?”

She quirked her eyebrow at him.

“I have real-people alcohol in the east wing.”

“Real-people conversation too?”

“Oh God, please!” Marc said. “I haven’t talked to anyone who doesn’t work for me, call me Dad, isn’t my husband or mother-in-law, in weeks.”

“Are we really allowed to slip off?” she asked. “Sounds like something our mothers-in-law would do.”

Marc sighed. “I need to complain about my husband.”

“Sounds like you need a friend.”

They linked arms. “Rosamie Santos, let’s go get drunk.”

* * *

Marc led Rosamie to the east wing, to where he did his work as First Gentleman. Rosamie had been here a couple of times, helping him out with his duties, but never after work hours. It felt so big with just the two of them. Marc had gotten two wine glasses and a bottle of pink wine.

“Should we check on the kids?” Rose asked, sitting on a large grey couch and turning on a lamp. Donna Lyman had offered to babysit the Santos children along with the Lyman kids in the Residence.

Marc shook his head, sitting across from her. “Donna has them.” He handed her a full glass then poured one for himself.

“Alright, I’ll rephrase that: should we check on your mother-in-law?”

“She raised Leo, Abi, and Noah; and looked after your husband for a couple years. I think she can handle our brood.”

“How are your kids dealing with whole move?” Rosamie asked, slipping off her heels.

Marc shrugged, untying his tie. “Pretty good. It isn’t like they had to move cities or across the country. They’ve been allowed to stay at the same school.” The Lymans had lived in DC prior to becoming First Family. “They aren’t able to see much of their friends outside of school though, which is why they love it when you bring your kids over. How are your three doing?”

“Better than I expected. The move to DC was a bit rough, but going to the same school as your kids really helped. Elvie always said, though he was only five when his father left office, having your husband and Josie growing up really helped him feel somewhat normal.”

Marc nodded. “Josie has said the same thing about having Leo.”

“And how are you doing?” she asked, getting to the crux of the situation.

He stared down at his drink. “I didn’t think things would change that much. Leo was a senator and it wasn’t like we had to move across the country, so maybe I have no right to complain.”

“Hey, your husband is the President of the United States. You have every right to complain. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I married Elvie and I still complain about him. So, complain. Don’t keep it pent up.”

“We agreed that if he won, that I’d get the kids settled in, take a few weeks to get a hang of the whole First Gentleman thing, then I would return to work, part-time. I brought this up with him this afternoon, thinking it would be fine: the kids are doing great, plus we have Donna… and he completely shot me down - not that I need his permission to go back to work,” Marc grumbled. “He said he was still worried about the kids, which I get. He puts family first and I love him for it. That’s why I fell in love with him, but I got an education for a reason. I had a pretty darn good job before the campaign and I want to go back. I want friends and adult relationships again.”

Rosamie nodded, thankful that she had a job other than being married to her husband - she had gotten on with an immigration law-firm here in DC. “Your life doesn’t have to revolve around him.”

“Apparently he thinks it does.” Marc rubbed his temples. “We are the first same-sex couple to occupy the White House. He seems to think we have to appear to be the perfect family with me playing the perfect supportive husband all the time.”

“That’s just ridiculous. My in-laws were the first inter-racial couple. It’s stupid to even bring up, but they occupied this house at a very rocky time within America.”

Marc nodded. “Your husband was almost not born because of hatred. Heck, Leo’s dad was shot back in the Bartlet era because the president’s daughter was dating a man whose skin did not match her’s.” He shook his head. “That was just stupid and I am so glad we have gotten past that as a country.”

“Point is,” Rosamie said, “My in-laws bickered throughout their time in the White House and continued to until the day Matt died. And they were married for 57 years.”

A small smile crossed Marc’s lips. “As pissed off as I am with him, I hear that and just think ‘I want 57 years of bickering with Leo’.”

“It will be your 17th wedding anniversary in the summer, right?”

Marc nodded. “Yeah, we were married the same year, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Rosamie said, raising her glass. “Wine is starting to kick in. Here’s to at least 40 more years of being married to smarmy bastards and jackasses.”

“And many more years of commisery and friendship with you.”

 

O.M.G. Perfect! You are right, I can't unsee it and now LMM is totally Elvie in my mind. I really like the woman you picked for Rose as well!

As for Leo and Marc, wow this is really hard. For Marc, the person I've found I think comes the closest is Diego Boneta, and while he's too young to be Marc at this point in his life, this guy could be a younger version of him. I was discussing this with my friend and she recommended Ansel Elgort as Leo who is waaaay too young to be this Leo, but maybe college age Leo.

Yeeessss!!!!

Nooo... not my boys!! But seriously, I love it. I love how they make Dear and Love feel so... venomus. And their argument is one that is totally valid and one I think most anyone would get into when your lives are going like theirs are.

Ha! I love that this came back.

That may be one of my favorites of his comebacks, and I love all of his comebacks!

I love this. Yeah, I think Donna is probably fine, but I love that Marc knows she's fine. This speaks to a comfortable relationship that Marc and Donna have and I love it! But I also love that Rose is worried that their children all together are a handful because I'm quite sure they are. (Even though I'm still not settled on how many kinds Marc and Leo have. I'm leaning toward 2, but I just can't decide!)

This plays directly into one of the stories I've started but not finished yet, and plays into it perfectly.

I adored the conversation between Marc and Rose, from the call back to Dr. Bartlet's 'Let's get drunk' all the way through. I can totally see Leo wanting things to be perfect and that appearances are everything, but I can also see how stifling that would be to someone who has given up just about everything. And I love the relationship the two of them have, that at least they have each other to complain about their infuriating husbands.

Me too, Marc. Me too!

I LOVED this and I can't wait for part two! These two are so much fun together!!

 

Eeee! That is like totally how I envisioned Marc (except maybe a few years older)! We have like mind powers here!

And I think Elgort could totally be a younger Leo. Maybe with a bit of Whitford added in as he gets older

I wanted to give some backstory to these marriages, so I decided to do in a different sort of writing style.

Oh it just wouldn't be a drunken night if the First Lady/Gentleman wasn't pissed at their spouse.

And yeah, I think you would need to have a pretty strong and solid relationship with your wife or husband to be an effective president, but every marriage has their spats and this is one I could see people in their position having.

He is just a smarmy bastard! The insult just fits him! And, yeah, it will come back again (I told you these kinda build off each other).

Elvie as VP is what happens when you give a genius nothing to do. His sass is running at an all time high. Leo and Rose are probably regretting Elvie wasn't given a more useful role like Secretary of State, but I'm not, because it is so much fun.

Donna delt with Josh (and Sam, and Toby). Donna is fine. And yeah, I think Donna and Marc have a great relationship.

As for Marc's and Leo's kids, I swear we have a mind-meld going in. I wrote a vignette involving one of their kids (a son named JJ AND HE IS ADORABLE) but I was kinda going back through your diary to see if you give any number and I just imagined them with 2 kids (a boy and a girl). I left the vignette kinda vague in terms of total number of kids, but I just think Leo and Marc would be smart (and I kinda take pity on Donna) and not let their kids outnumber them (unlike Elvie and Rose).

MIND MELD MAV!!!!

Also, I want to see how this argument is resolved Because I don't have a resolution.

Yeah. I think Marc gave up A LOT for Leo. He still loves his husband, but I think Marc feels, yeah, a bit stifled. Which is why I'm glad I gave him Rose to get drunk with

ME TOOOOOO!!! I want them to be an old, bickering couple at 95.

Thanks. These two are just too much fun to write (especially drunk).

 

Title: Wine in the East Wing PT. 2
Timeframe: March, 2055
Characters: Marc Lyman, Rosamie Santos
AN: Sorry if I’ve messed up any Leo/Marc headcanon.


“Why did you take Leo’s last name?” The wine was now flowing as, in a dark corner of the east wing, First Gentleman and Second Lady chatted. Rosamie and Marc had been casual friends before their husbands had sought the highest offices in the land. But now the two, who had both grown up in average middle-class families, had realized they had been thrust into this unknown world together. Sure, being married to a senator or governor was one thing, but there was only one First Gentleman of the United States of America, and there was only one Second Lady.

Marc sighed. “First, because neither of us wanted the last name Johnson. The lewd jokes were just going to write themselves. And - to be frank - my father was a bastard. He and my mom were never happy together. Thankfully, they divorced when I was just little. My mom re-marred a very pleasant man and I never had much contact with my father - he never had much time for me and when he did, he was a bit of a bully. Then I came out as gay and he made it clear to me that he didn’t want me in his life at all.”

“I’m sorry Marc.”

He shrugged. “Don’t be. It wasn’t much of a loss and I’m glad Leo and the kids never have to meet him. It gives me just a tiny bit of smug satisfaction that I am now happily married to the President of the United States and he’s just a bitter old man. Leo was open to hyphenate our names, but I didn’t want to. Leo looked up to his father so much and Josh and Donna became like second parents to me. I wanted Lyman to be my last name and I wanted our children to be Lymans.”

“Well that’s just sickeningly sweet.”

Marc laughed. “Plus, it means I got leverage to be ‘Dad’ to our kids, while Leo had to pick between Papa or Abba.” Of course, Leo had chosen ‘Abba’, Hebrew for dad. “What about you, Mrs. Santos? You never hit me as a traditional lady.”

“I actually always said - as a little girl - that any future marriage I would be a part of would be equal, including hyphenated names. And then I decided to marry Elvie,” she then chuckled. “And being married to a man named Leo-Vincente Santos-dela Cruz was just cruel for all parties involved.”

Marc winced. “Yeah, good call with that one. Do you ever actually call him Leo-Vincente? I’ve only ever heard you call him Elvie with the exception of your wedding vows.”

“Only when I’m really mad at him. He only gets called Leo-Vincente when I or his mother are really pissed off at him.”

“I guess growing up with my Leo, Elvie didn’t have the option of just being Leo.”

“I guess not. I don’t think anyone has ever called him just Leo, but - according to the stories - the whole Elvie thing started when he was four days old - before your Leo showed up. And I think it just kinda stuck. If you ever want to see him get mad, remind me to call him Elvis.”

“I call Leo ‘Leopold’. It pisses him off so much.”

Rose chuckled. “Yeah, well, he probably deserves it. I actually didn’t know Elvie’s full name until we were dating for three months. I then spent a good fifteen minutes yelling it at him.”

“What?” he exclaimed. “Okay, I need this story.” He took a sip of his wine.

“Well,” she began. “You know Elvie and I met when we were both studying for the bar exam - you know, flirtatious glances across the Matthew Santos Presidential Library until I got up the nerve to ask him out for coffee. We were pretty casual with our dates since we were both so busy studying, plus I was working and he was still living in a physical rehab centre. Then, a week after we both did the exam, he was released from rehab and he asked me to help him move back to his parents’ ranch. He asked me probably because I had a truck.”

“Smarmy bastard?”

She rose her glass, “Exactly! Should have been the first red flag. Anyways, he said he wanted me to meet his parents - he had met mine a few weeks prior and they had just adored him. So I said yes because I was falling in love. He was intelligent, understanding, a good Catholic boy, and just had the biggest heart. So, after packing up his few things, we started to drive to his parents’ and I realized we had never really talked about his family - we were both just so absorbed into studying and talking about law. So I asked him, really embarrassed, what his parents’ names were.”

“Wait! You guys met in his father’s library and you didn’t realize he was President Santos’ kid! He looks exactly like his father. It never came up before this?”

Rose held up a finger. “In my defense, his dad was president when we were toddlers. I don’t have any memories of him as president. I went to that library because it was close to my apartment and Elvie had his goatee. Santos isn’t exactly a rare last name, especially in Texas. Plus the bar exam pretty much is 6 months of sleep deprivation. Anyways, I asked him and he just kinda mumbled ‘Matt and Helen Santos’. I didn’t even clue in. I just kinda laughed and said, ‘Matt Santos? Does he get mistaken for the old president often?’.”

Marc started to laugh.

“Elvie goes, ‘Well, no, because his is former president Matthew Santos. Just call him Matt though.’ I thought he was kidding so I called him a smartass and said something like, ‘I’ve gone to the dude’s library enough to know he doesn’t have a son with a stupid name like Elvie’.”

“Oh, God.” Marc was laughing harder. “Please tell me he managed to convince you before you got to his parents.”

She nodded. “Now he says he was tempted to let me believe he was just joking, but apparently he liked me too much. He said, ‘No, no, my full name is Leo-Vincente.’ He then did the hole finger-spelling of his initials.” Rose then did the same thing to show Marc. “‘L.V.. Elvie. Former first lady Abbey Bartlet, my godmother, came up with it.’ Well, I was in denial at that point. I go, ‘No, I heard the news stories. Leo-Vincente Santos was in a horrible accident last year.’ And then it all clicked. I swore; started saying ‘Leo-Vincente Santos, you are a jackass.’ I called him all sorts of names and started to swat him. Now he claims that was when he fell in love with me. We had just pulled out of the rehab centre and I was hitting, swearing and yelling at him.” Rose was shaking her head. “And he fell in love with me.”

Marc wiped his eyes as he caught his breath. “Oh I am so glad I’m not the only one who has had that happened to them.”

“Oh no!” Rose gasped. “How did Leo do that to you?”

“Well, it wasn’t as bad as learning that my boyfriend’s parents were the former president and first lady, but I did learn who his ‘Uncle Sam and Auntie Ains’ really were right here at the White House, so it was pretty bad.”

“Oh, do tell.” She poured herself another glass of wine.

“Okay, so, Leo and I had been dating for a few weeks when he asked me in early November if I wanted to join him in DC for Thanksgiving, to meet his family. It was oddly early in the month to be making Thanksgiving plans. I said yes because I could tell it was important to him. I knew he was missing his family while he was in Boston doing his Law degree. Plus he had told me that right before we started dating that one of his childhood friends had had a pretty bad accident and Leo felt bad about only going back to DC once to see the guy before he went back to Texas to start his physical rehab.” Marc eyed Rose. “You have any idea who that could have been?”

“Sounds like a smarmy bastard.”

He chuckled. “Anyways, so we took the train Thanksgiving morning and got to his parents’ place. There I met the twins and his parents. I just fell in love with them right away - his dad and Abi were arguing, Noah was ignoring them, and his mom was cooking. They were just a normal, loving family. Leo got all bashful when he introduced me, which was just adorable because the Leo I knew was cocky and brash. His father started to interrogate me. I knew Josh Lyman had made three men presidents and had served one as Deputy Chief of Staff and two of them as Chief of Staff so I was a bit intimidated and just felt stupid as soon as I started talking. Then Donna came up, swatted Josh, told him to ‘Be nice,’ and gave me a hug. I began helping her out in the kitchen and she was going on about how it was tradition for Sam or Ainsley to make the turkey and stuffing and for her to make all the side dishes. Josh and Leo eventually come in and Josh asks me ‘if this was my first time’, and before he could finish his question, Leo elbows him in the ribs and winks at his dad.”

Rose quirked her eyebrows.

“So, Josh asks me ‘is this your first time in DC?’ I replied yes and that I was kinda disappointed that Leo and I had to leave in the morning because I wanted to go to some of the museums and do some of the touristy stuff.”

Rosamie began to giggle. “Oh dear.”

“Anyways, Donna just looks at Leo, tells him that he is a horrible person and I assumed she meant he was horrible for not taking me to see the city. A few hours later we load up into the van, all holding side dishes for dinner and… well, our destination ended up being the White House. Naturally, I was really confused. Leo just looks a me and goes ‘What? This is where my Uncle Sam and Auntie Ainsley live.’ Before I could figure it out, Josh just says ‘Thanksgivings were a lot better back when Ainsley was the First Lady and doing the cooking, now it’s Sam. The only thing Ainsley can do better than Sam is cook.’ Jost was about to go on, but Donna said something about sexist comments, but I was just in the middle of a panic attack.”

“I know the feeling,” she groaned.

“I was about to meet Ainsley and Sam Seaborn, the possibly the most powerful couple in the history of the United States. Donna parked the van and I was ready to vomit. Donna, thankfully, forced the twins and Josh to go inside with her, leaving Leo and me alone. He was actually laughing at me, saying he didn’t realize I’d be so freaked out to meet his family. I nearly killed him. Pretty sure I told him off and then called myself stupid for not realizing his Uncle Sam was the same Samuel I knew his father had made president.”

“You felt stupid for not realizing that?” Rosamie deadpanned.

Marc replied. “Well, I did until about 5 minutes ago.” He then sighed. “But, after I freaked out at Leo, he just took my hand and told me ‘Don’t be worried, they’ll love you because I love you.’”

She smiled. “I thought we came in here to complain about our husbands.”

“We did,” he said, matter-of-factly. “So let me tell you about the time Leo vomited in my suit pocket.”

* * *

An hour later, both Rose and Marc were laughing at the memory from the campaign stop in Dallas, Texas during the primaries. “Leo screamed so loud, I am so glad he didn’t have secret service protection at that point because they would have come in and saw Leo and me in a very intimate position.”

“And it was a scorpion?” Rosamie asked.

“Just a little baby one on the floor. He completely lost it. After I got rid of the little guy, Leo - now completely dressed - just goes ‘If I win the nomination I know exactly who I am asking to run with me and I’ll never have to come back to this stupid state’.”

“So, you got killjoyed by a bug in Texas and I got dragged into this thing?”

Marc laughed. “Pretty much.”

Then, the door to the room they were sitting in opened and, backlit from the light in the hallway, two distinct silhouettes entered. Elvie groaned. “Our mothers warned us this would happen.”

Leo nodded. “Uncle Sam too. What is it with being married to the president and becoming an alcoholic?”

Marc rolled his eyes. “Hello Leopold.”

“Hello Elvis,” Rosamie said with a smirk.

Both president and vice president were scowling when they entered the light cast by the lamp.

“Here to drag us back to the ambassador reception?” Marc grumbled.

Leo sat on the arm of the chair Marc was sitting in. “I think you two are way too far gone to be seen in public.” He kissed Marc’s temple. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“You are a killjoy, you know that?” Marc said.

“Kinda like that scorpion,” Rosamie laughed.

“Oh you did not tell her that story,” Leo said, swatting Marc. He then swung around and pointed at Elvie. “And if you utter a word about the frog, you are out of a job.”

“It was a toad,” Elvie corrected, sounding entirely uninterested. He rubbed an old scar on the back of his hand, which only seemed to infuriate Leo, who ground his teeth in frustration.

“Oh, I think we need to do this with Elvie, so we can get the toad story,” Marc taunted. “Also, Rosamie agrees with me that I should go back to work. She even agreed to help out with the First Gentleman stuff,” Marc said, his head lolling back.

“I said no such thing!” Rosamie exclaimed.

“Yeah, but if you are around more, we can drink more,” Marc explained.

“And now it is time for us to head home,” Elvie said, taking his wife’s hand. He turned to Leo. “Bringing these two together was a mistake.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t have to campaign in Texas, so it all worked.”

 

I'd been leaning toward 2, a boy and a girl as well! And so it will be!

Nope, totally didn't mess up any Marc/Leo head canon I had! I adored this so, so much!!
I was laughing and awwww-ing so hard through the whole thing! This is another one that I'm going to try and restrain myself from quoting the whole thing and gushing about how much I love it. Just know there wasn't a word that I didn't adore.

I've only had a vague idea of Marc's backstory, but this fits in perfectly with what I'd been thinking. Poor Marc! But I love that he found a family in the Lymans and fell in love with them. It makes me so happy!

Yeessss! Talk about payback and living your best life despite someone who is a *******. And the reason he gives...

Poor guy! As someone who's name get butchered all the time (and I don't get it, how is Mavis so hard??) I feel for him. And I love the bit of meta-ness about this since we've discussed how word processors want to change Elvie to Elvis.

Okay, we've got to stop with the mind-meld thing. While it wasn't Rose and Elvie, I totally have been working on something in my brain where Leo and Marc meet in the school library. Except I don't want Marc to be in law school (I'm not 100% set on what I want him to do) and I've been trying to find a way to make that work.

Oh man. That is HILARIOUS! Poor Rose, talk about a shocking and intimidating moment. But these are the kind of situations where you know if someone is right for you or not, and she obviously did quite well.

The whole story with Marc meeting the Lymans was great, from Leo purposely not telling who Uncle Sam and Aunt Aines were, to Josh and well... everyone allowing it to go on. There was so much warmth and love from that story, and so that family! The part I especially loved was " Leo got all bashful when he introduced me, which was just adorable because the Leo I knew was cocky and brash." He is his father's son. And then how Marc brings it all to Leo saying "They'll love you because I love you." Marc really loves Leo and it really shows through here. He can't even stay mad, but man do I need to know about the vomiting in his suit pocket story!


The scorpion story was great! I'm gonna have to side with Leo on this one, the little scorpions are the most dangerous!! But I love that he uses that as his 'excuse' for bringing Elvie on board is campaign.

Okay, now I'm going to go melt in a puddle of goo of happiness and love.

 

BAH! I'm having a frustratingly bad day so I am updating this. Because The West Wing makes me happy.

Yayyy! Now I want Marc/Leo cuteness with their kids!

I'm glad you enjoyed and I'm glad I didn't mess up any head canon! It is so weird because I've never been one for "earth-based fics" or OCs, but I just love these guys- especially your OCs - so much and I am so glad you have let me "borrow" these guys for my own selfish enjoyment.

Poor Marc. I'm glad this fits in with your backstory, because I think Leo and the Lyman really became his family.

Yeah. I'm not sure if Marc's dad is going to show up again (like I said, Marc and Rose want their own series and it is taking over my head) but yeah, Marc is happy and in love (... even if Leo is just so Leo sometimes ).

I guess I can't complain too much because I chose to go by my second name (as bad as my first name is, it is never mis-pronounced), but the amount of times I get called "Brian" is just too high.

Oh yes, that totally inspired that bit.

BUT IT IS SO FUN! But seriously, yeah, it is getting creepy Because I don't want Marc to have anything to do with Law or politics. I want him to be well educated but have nothing to do with government.

AND I TOTALLY NEED TO READ THIS NOW!

Yeah, I think so too.

Thank you. That family really is devious. And Leo, as much as he loves his mom, really is his father's child when it comes to romances.

Yeah, Marc just can't stay mad at Leo (as the vomit story will account). But before we get to that (it's a fairly short vignette so I have a few ~500 words ones I'll post in pairs), there's one more bit of backstory, and then it is Leo's revenge on Elvie (and then I can post some that have been waiting around since August ).

I remember hearing something like that (but in my mind, Marc is from Boston so he doesn't know ).

Okay. I just love these guy and their ability to turn us into goo.

 

Title: Camp Bartlet
Timeframe: 2019
Characters: Josie Seaborn, Leo Lyman, Elvie Santos, Abbey and Jed Bartlet
A/N: The toad part is based on true events - I still have a scar. Also, tío means uncle in Spanish.

It was a long shot. She was only 9 years old and had only been daughter to the President for a few months. But she knew how things worked. Her dad was an important man. There might be people out there that would use her to hurt him, thus why she always had to listen, go where she was told (and typically she was confined to either school or home, but sometimes she got to go to her best friend Leo’s house), and have her Secret Service agents with her when she left the White House Residence.

Still, she wanted to ask.

She waited until she knew her parents were in a good mood. On this Saturday afternoon her mother and father were in the sitting room. Her father was in his chair, reading from a binder. Her mother was on her laptop. Her little sister was at their mother’s feet, playing with dolls.

“Mom, Dad,” Josie announced. “I want to go to summer camp again.” She got to go to summer camps back when they lived in California and her father was governor.

Her father looked over his glasses at her mother and what glimmer of hope Josie had fizzled and died.

“We’ll be going to Camp David for two weeks in July,” her mother offered. “We can go swimming, practice archery, roast marshmallows - everything you do at summer camp.”

“I know, but there is so much more to summer camp than that. There’s friends all day long, staying up late, fun and games…”

“No parents?” her father offered, raising his eyebrow.

They saw her true intentions. “Well, that is a part of it.”

Sam Seaborn mocked pain. He leaned back, clutched at his chest, took his glasses off and put the back of his hand to his forehead. “Ainsley, I’m wounded. Someone hold me. Our little Josie doesn’t want us around. Next she’ll be moving out, getting a job, and paying taxes.”

“Daaaad,” Josie whined, getting on the arm of the recliner.

Imogene climbed up into her mother’s arms. “I… I don’t have to move out, do I?” the four-year-old asked, concerned. “I don’t wanna pay taxes.”

“She gets that from you, you know? Republicans,” Sam huffed.

Ainsley cast her husband a fed-up look before turning to her younger daughter. “No one is moving out.”

“No one is going to camp either.” Josie said, slumping forward, her brown hair getting into her face. “I’m going to die of boredom this summer.”

“No, you aren’t,” her father said. “I have an idea.”

* * *

Four days after school ended, Josie found herself in an SUV with her best friend Leo Lyman (plus Josie’s Secret Service Agents, Olivia and MacKenzie). They had landed in New Hampshire and were being driven to the Bartlet farm. Josie knew her Momma Abbey and Papa Jed weren’t her real grandparents (Leo called them Momma and Pa too and they weren’t Leo’s grandparents either). But they had been President and First Lady a long time ago, so they were friends of her parents. Plus they too needed Secret Service protection and Josie knew their farm was just about as safe as the White House, so she could run free here.

Momma Abbey was standing in the driveway when the car pulled up. Josie gave Leo an excited squeal before tumbling out of the car exclaiming, “FREEDOM IN AMERICA!” She then hugged Abbey. “Uh, my dad wanted me to say ’thank you’ for taking me and Leo for two weeks. My mom wanted me to say she was sorry for not delivering us herself. She and Imogene had an appearance in Oregon.”

Leo was then behind her, hugging Abbey as well. “Yeah, Mom wanted me to say thank you too for getting me out of Dad’s hair.”

“Well, I’m just excited to spoil you three without your parents giving me disapproving glances,” she said, hands on her hips.

“Three?” Leo asked.

“Well, it wouldn’t be much of a summer camp with only two campers.”

As they walked up the driveway and onto the porch, three figures emerged from the house. The first was their Papa Jed walking with a cane. “Hey there Mr. Lyman and Miss Seaborn,” he said with a grin.

The second was their Tío Matt, towering over their Pa. Matt too had been president, after their Pa, and both Josie’s and Leo’s fathers had worked for him. Josie’s mom had worked for him too and Leo’s mother had worked for his wife. “Uh, oh,” he groaned seeing Josie and Leo. “More trouble has arrived.”

Josie gasped as she now knew who their third camper would be if their Tío Matt was here. The third out of the house was Matt’s son Elvie. He was a year older than both her and Leo, but they had been practically raised together as toddlers. Both Josie and Leo had gotten to stay with the Santos family a lot a year ago. Whenever Josie’s father was campaigning in the south, she and Leo got to stay at the Santos ranch in Texas. Elvie occasionally made it to DC when his father needed to attend various events as former president.

“Elvie!” Josie exclaimed, hugging him. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, it was either India with my mom and brother, dying in the heat as they do research; Germany with my dad, dying of boredom during the climate change summit;” Elvie made snoring sounds. “Or here. It really wasn’t much of a choice. My second choice was India.”

“I feel so loved,” his father said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Matt then turned to Abbey. “Are you sure you can handle these three?”

“Yes, yes, and it isn’t like we won’t have help,” Abbey replied gesturing around to the plethora of Secret Service agents along with the hands the Bartlets employed for their farm. “We offered to take Imogene too, but Ainsley didn’t think it was a good idea. We would have gotten Abi and Noah too if she had come.”

“Now there’s trouble.”

“Besides,” Jed said after he had finished hugging both Josie and Leo. He sat on a porch swing. “They are two young men and a young woman. They can take care of themselves. When I was there age I was smoking cigarettes and stealing cars.”

Matt turned to his son and hugged him. “Be good; listen to your godmother and godfather, except when he says stuff like that.” He then pointed to Josie and Leo. “No cigarettes and no joyriding.”

All three kids laughed as Matt headed for his SUV, accompanied by two agents.

* * *

It wasn’t EXACTLY like summer camp - Josie got a bedroom all to herself instead of sleeping in a cabin with 9 other girls, and they got things like fresh French toast for breakfast and ribs for dinner - but it was still pretty fun. She, Leo, and Elvie were building a treehouse using a kit the Bartlets had bought for them. They were going to sleep in it once it was finished.

Unfortunately, today it was wet and raining so they weren’t allowed to work on it. Instead, they were stuck in the basement, bored. Leo was reading a book and she and Elvie were playing blackjack on the carpet floor.

“This is worse than when the White House went into lockdown for three hours,” Josie complained.

Leo put down his book and glared at her from the large, plush couch. “You got stuck in the Residence, with entertainment and food. I was forced into a closet with my dad and Margaret.”

“Well, look on the bright side, we can go toad and frog catching at the pond when it stops raining,” Elvie said with a grin.

“What? Really?” Josie asked, excited. She had never even seen a frog in real life.

Elvie nodded. “They love to come out after it rains. We need to find nets and buckets.”

“Gross!” Leo exclaimed. “I’m not coming.”

Once it stopped raining, Elvie and Josie ran out of the house in rain boots.

* * *

Leo should have seen it coming. From the moment Elvie and Josie offered to set the table for dinner so he could read his book, he should have known. But he didn’t - he just thought they were mocking him - so he finished his novel in ignorance.

When he was called to dinner, he should have realized the sly glance Elvie exchanged with Josie was the same look Abi gave Noah whenever they were about to get into trouble.

So, when Leo turned over his ceramic mug after Josie offered him water from the pitcher and he made eye contact with a frog (Elvie would later correct him: it was a toad), sitting there on the table, he shouldn’t have screamed in shock and terror. Except, he did.

In a scene out of an Italian Renaissance painting, Leo flung his mug into the air. It landed and shattered on Elvie’s right hand. Elvie held up a bloody hand.

“Oh, that’s a lot of blood,” Josie mumbled before fainting.

* * *

Josie sat on the couch, sipping a juice box, cuddled up to her Papa Jed.

“You don’t need stitches,” Momma Abbey was saying as she dabbed at Elvie’s cuts with an antiseptic wipe. He winced. “Might have a tiny bit of a scar though.”

Dinner had been ruined - burned by the interruption - but the Bartlets had ordered pizza.

“You’re not going to phone their parents, are you?” Leo asked, worried. He didn’t want their camp to end 9 days early. “I was only surprised.”

“No,” Abbey sighed. “I don’t think your parents need to be bothered with this kind of stuff. No one needed to go to the hospital.”

“But no more biblical plagues at the dinner table,” Jed said.

“It was a toad, Dear,” Abbey corrected him.

“Are you correcting my biblical reference?” he asked, indignant. “The first plague in the book of Exodus was water into blood. The second was frogs.”

“I’d never correct your biblical knowledge, just your taxonomy. It was a toad on the table.”

 

I'm sorry you were having a frustrating day, but YAY! for WW!!

Exactly! For some reason architect keeps popping into my head but I just don't know. Maybe some kind of Engineer? I really need him to tell me soon because it's driving me nuts!

Same here. If I'm having a bad day I just have to think about them, or read a story and I'm all goo-y again.

I love that we got the toad story mentioned in the previous story! Now I'm really looking forward to the vomiting in the pocket story!

I love how smart she is and she knows why it's important. That's a hard concept for a kid to understand, but she does and I love it. But she's also a kid so she just wants to do what the other kids do and go to camp. Can't blame her for giving it a shot, though!

Hahah... Sam is such a good dad! It was really the paying taxes that put that over the top because he's a good dad, but he's also a good politician.

Ha! Imogene is so cute here! And so little, before she hates living in the White House. But Sam and Ainsley still going at it about Dems vs. Republicans...

I about spit tea all over my laptop at Freedom in America. And then she remembers she has to have manners and switches to them and it's adorable.
And I love how apparent it is that Abbey and Jed are happy to have them and that they are as much their grandkids as their real grandkids.

The smarmy bastard started early... haha! I love him!

I love that everyone knows that Abi is pure trouble. Oh man, now I'm having visions of Elvie and Abi getting into trouble together when Abi is a bit older.

There is some great character development here, Leo with his book and Josie and Elvie wanting to go out and adventure. He's always been the slightly more introverted and serious type and they are the more... gungho type.

The whole putting the toad under the cup and the visual of Leo throwing the cup was fantastic and I loved Abbey and Jed arguing over the biblical plagues. I laughed so hard!!

Loved it!

 

Our universe does really make me so happy when I'm having a bad day.

I like the idea of an architect. I vote for that

Haha. I do the exact same thing!

It's not that long, but it's fun.

Yeah. I think being around it her entire life has helped her understand, and she is quite intelligent (and she has a wide support system of both adults and kids her age). But she's still a kid.

DadSam is so much fun. I love him.

[quote]
Ha! Imogene is so cute here! And so little, before she hates living in the White House. But Sam and Ainsley still going at it about Dems vs. Republicans... [/quote]
Imo is adorable (I kinda hate myself for doing what I am going to do to her). Sam and Ainsley are so much fun in their spats.

*insert Boston tea party joke here*. And, like in the first scene, Josie is still a kid, but she's very aware of her situation.

Yeah, I have a two different couples are more like my grandparents than my actual grandparents and I love them.

ROTFL! Yeah, it started very early.

Everyone knows Abi is pure Josh

And, oh god, now I'm having visions of those two too! Probably picked on poor Leo endlessly.

Thanks. I saw Leo as a bit more book nerdy and Elvie and Josie as much more "let's go on an adventure" types. And I think it shows in them as adults.

Thank you. I love writing Jed and Abbey and I REALLY WISH plot bunnies would bite more often for those two.

 

Title: An Unproportional Response
Timeframe: Late March, 2055
Characters: Leo Lyman, Elvie Santos, Josie Seaborn, Marc Lyman
AN: Leo’s “touchy-feeliness” (also, him taking his prank too far) was inspired by this article (which accounts Brad Whitford as very touchy and Jimmy Smits just kinda tolerating it. The whole article is hilarious, though most of the pranks I think have been recounted on the TWWW podcast, with the exception of the valentines one, which kills me), and I just think Leo would be that guy.


“Sir? I know you like to lead by example and let people know that you are okay with them letting off stress, but are you sure this is a good idea?” Josie said, raising her eyebrow as she looked down on the president sitting at his desk. His brown hair was particularly fluffy today, which matched well with his navy blue suit.

Leo Lyman looked up at her. “No one picks on my mom.”

“Pretty sure your mom was in on it,” Josie replied.

“Still. He deserves it.”

“He was stuck in that meeting about the boarder for two hours,” she pointed out.

“He made me think my mother was going to be deported.”

“Okay,” she said slowly, trying to come up with another way to talk the president down from his idea. “Do we have to have a discussion on the value of a proportional response?”

“No,” he said. He then gestured at the yellow pad of paper. “This is going to be hilarious.”

“My dad… and my mom if she were still with us,” yes, she was playing that card, “would tell you that this is not a joking matter.”

“Oh, don’t worry! I got Star Wars references in it and I’m not going to let it go on very long. How many pranks did Joey Lucas play on our fathers as VP? I’m not taking the whole ‘innocent disabled’ trope like they did. I’m getting revenge.”

She had sworn she would take this to her grave. She had been tempted to use this in her “Best Woman” speech at Leo’s wedding, but she hadn’t, because she had made Elvie swear never to tell any one either - especially not Leo. “Mr. President, would it make you feel better if I admitted that it was my it was my idea to put the toad under your cup at Camp Bartlet? Santos did it, but it was all my plan.”

“What?” He clutched at his chest. “Et tu, Brute?”

She hadn’t used it in her speech because she knew he’d react like that. “Yes. It was all my idea. Now can I call the other staff in?”

“Yes,” he grumbled. “But after the meeting, we are going to discuss your betrayal.”

“Thank you, Mr. President.”

* * *

“Leo?” Marc said, next to him in bed. Leo was reading his briefing binder. Marc was reading a book. “Are you sure this is a good use of your time? Of your resources?”

“It’s going to be hilarious,” Leo insisted. “And it is only a couple of community actors. This place needs a good chuckle after the election. And his Secret Service agents already agreed because they want to treat it as a drill without him knowing, so it actually has some benefits. Why is everyone against this?”

“It’s not that we are against this, but,” Marc winced, trying to find the right words. “I’m not sure you want to joke about something like this. If you can call it a joke,” he murmured.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, Leo love,” Marc said, returning to his book.

“It’s a prank with aliens!”

“Yup. Sure. That is totally the central theme.”

“You know who you are? Medea. Josie is Brutus and you are Medea. No!” he exclaimed, putting his binder down into his lap. “You two are Obi-Wan and Padmè!”

“Oh god.” Marc rolled his eyes. His husband got way too excited about these things. “You are such a nerd. Doesn’t that make you Darth Vader?”

“Yes! Betrayed by my best friend and my spouse who won’t support me.”

Marc shook his head. “Doesn’t that make Elvie Princess Leia?”

“What? No. Why?”

“Well his father was practically Bail Organa. Now there’s a president I wouldn’t have kicked out of bed for reading his briefing binder in bed.”

“Gross,” Leo said, getting the hint. Marc didn’t like it when Leo worked in bed. It was one of the few things Marc asked of Leo. He closed the binder and set it on the floor. “Can we please not talk about my late Tio Matt like that?”

“Fine, but if my husband would just satisfy me in bed instead of plotting his petty revenge-.”

Leo promptly shut Marc up.

“Thank you, Mr. President,” Marc moaned incoherently.

* * *

Elvie was bored. The president was out of town. Elvie hadn’t paid attention to where, it was somewhere in the continental US, which meant just a day-trip, but whenever the president was out of DC, the Secret Service preferred that the VP worked in the White House. Not that Elvie minded, he just didn’t have much to do today. So he reviewed briefings. He did, after all, sit on the National Security Council. He was actually allowed to talk there, unlike when he had to go to the Senate.

He was debating if he could go surprise Rosamie at work with a nice lunch when suddenly men and women burst through the door. “Sir, we have a situation. You need to be moved to the bunker.” He didn’t recognize the men and women in suits, but behind them were his own Secret Service agents and his body-man, Ryan.

Elvie had mentally prepared himself for this, but he never actually thought it would happen. The president had just been sworn in two months ago. Elvie held his arms up. “Fill me in on the way there. Someone, please remember I need my wheelchair.” He was currently sitting in his office chair (much more comfortable for long hours), but his wheelchair was right beside him. Ryan picked him up, bridal style.

“We’ve lost communications with Air Force one,” one of the women said as they all hurried out of the office.

Elvie’s stomach sank. No. Not Leo. But Elvie didn’t have the luxury to be worried, nor to wonder if he was going to become the next John Tyler - the man who succeeded William Henry Harrison, the man who was president for a month before he died. Elvie had work to do.

“Reason? And do we have the Air Force up there?” he asked as they started to descend endless flights of stairs.

“We don’t know where it is and no.”

Nothing ever went wrong with planes in his life, Elvie thought sarcastically. “Well I want answers. I want eyes up there. Where’s Admiral Tobar and Sara Fabian?”

They took him through a series of rooms he had never seen before. It looked like a series of bunkers. Was this part of the west wing even used since the nuclear disarmament under President Hayes-Seaborn? They ended up in a simple square room with one table, chairs, and a phone.

“Why aren’t we in the sit room?” He was placed in a chair at the head of the table, facing away from the door. No. He needed his wheelchair. Not only was it an extension of his body, but it also provided the proper support for his back and hips. Sitting on a metal folding chair would require way too much focus on balance for him to focus on more important matters. “And where is my wheelchair?” And why was he surrounded by incompetent people who he had never seen before?

“Sir?” one of the new men said with a shaking voice, cellphone still to his ear. He got service down here? “Admiral Tobar and Sara Fabian have gone missing.”

Elvie held his shock. Both the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Security Advisor were missing? How was that even possible?

“Sir!” A woman said, also holding a phone to her ear. “Reports coming from Berlin; London; Delhi. The Chancellor and Prime ministers… are gone. Just vanished.”

“The -” Elvie’s vulgar mouth was interrupted.

“Sir, if they are gone, then we should believe-”

“No!” Elvie shouted, banging his fist on the table. “Air Force One has gone silent. The president is not dead.”

“Sir, we aren’t dealing with a possible assassination, we are dealing with an abduction. If he is, Air Force One is under the control of foreign terrestrials. We will try to get confirmation but you need to put yourself in a place where you can order the plane down.”

Elvie was stunned silent. If Leo wasn’t…. It would be murder! A coup d’état.

An arm reached over him, putting a glass of water on the table.

“We can’t find the plane.”

“What?” Elvie said to the man still on the cell.

“We can’t find Air Force One,” he repeated.

“Abduction of an entire plane. Can the Porgs even do that?” a woman asked. “We… we need to call in Area 51.”

“What?” Elvie asked again, this time in utter disbelief. “Aliens?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What?”

“Sir,” a deep voice said behind him. “Perhaps you should have some water before we tell you this.”

Elvie then looked at the glass. There was a plastic toy frog floating in the water. The figure behind him began to laugh. It was the president.

Elvie turned around. “You jackass!”

Leo simply laughed. “God, your face. The PORGS! The Porgs should have given it all away.”

Elvie leaned forward, clutching his back. “Lord, Sir. The heart attack was enough but did you have to get them to take away my wheelchair?”

“Oh, I know you aren’t in any real pain. I had them take away your wheelchair because I remember my bachelor party. You are a scary man who can kick my ass. I had to immobilize you somehow.”

Elvie chuckled at the memory. He hadn’t kicked Leo’s ass, more-so tackled him and pinned him to the ground. “Yeah, but that was back when we were young and stupid.”

“Now we are old?” Leo then stepped forward, beside Elvie and began rubbing his back. “Seriously, are you hurt?” The president was a very touchy, feely guy. Elvie knew Leo couldn’t resist comforting someone in pain.

“No,” Elvie replied, grabbing the glass of water and throwing the contents at the president, drenching his coat and pants. “I just wanted to do that.”

“Real mature, Elvie, real mature.”

* * *

A few days later, Elvie was working in his office in the West Wing when there was a knock at the door. He looked up to see the president enter. “Hey. I’m free now. Wanna grab our lunch?”

About once a week, the president and vice president had lunch together. Leo had instigated it and hoped they could continue it throughout his time in the White House. It was their 45 minutes alone. Leo and Elvie would discuss policies, politics, or personal matters. It was Leo’s time to catch Elvie up and seek out his advice. Sometimes Josie would join them, but other times it would just be the two of them.

“Will there be fake toads in my drink?” Elvie grumbled, transferring to his wheelchair.

“No, I actually want to talk to you about that. I’m sorry. I took it too far. I shouldn’t have made light of that situation: neither implying a plane malfunction, nor putting you in that position of possibly taking my place.”

“You are just realizing this now?” Elvie asked as they made their way to the private dining room where they would eat.

“I might have gotten a call from Uncle Sam.”

“Ohhh,” Elvie taunted. “Josie called in the big boss. You got in trouble with him?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Leo said, sitting at the table. It was already set. Ushers came in with their plates of salad.

“Ugh, I hate this meal plan Marc has for us,” Elvie grumbled, setting his napkin in his lap.

“Yeah, try living with the guy. He compared you to Princess Leia the other night.”

Elvie rolled his eyes. This hadn’t been the first time. “Seriously? Will I ever get out from under Bail Organa’s shadow? Rose calls me ’smarmy bastard’, shouldn’t that make me Lando?”

“Yeah, it kinda does.” Leo laughed. “Anyways,” he sighed, getting back on the topic. “Sam basically told me I shouldn’t take advantage of the fact that you have to mentally - and physically - prepare yourself to take over on very dark day for the country.”

Elvie avoided eye contact. “It would also be a very dark day for me personally. Rose and I have a plan in place that has her prioritizing Marc, your kids, and your mom, and me prioritizing the country. It kills me to know how… cold I may have to be to you and your family. I pray we never have to see that plan come to action.”

Leo was shocked, but he expected nothing less. He touched Elvie’s forearm. “Thank you, for thinking of Marc, the kids and Mom. I’m never going to make light of that possibility again.”

“Thank you. Because I will always take it seriously.”

Leo nodded. Of course Elvie would. “And now I will too.”

They both took bites of their lunch.

“So, we have the White House Correspondents’ dinner in a month.”

“Oh, Lord,” Elvie groaned.

“I want to write a few of the jokes.”

“You sure that is a good idea, Sir? You just admitted your prank with me took a joke way too far.”

“I’m just going to give my writing staff some suggestions. I was watching some of your Dad’s old correspondents’ dinners last night and nearly died laughing.”

Elvie chuckled. “Did you watch the ’09 one? Mom was about 10 weeks pregnant with me. Dad apparently wanted to tell people so badly but she made him wait till she was in her second trimester.”

Leo nodded. “But, in retrospect, he was dropping so many hints that it was just painfully obvious. My favourite was: ‘mine and Helen’s chiefs of staff are married and are trying to get pregnant - and we are all rooting for Joshua Lyman’s little swimmers! Meanwhile, Helen and are trying not get pregnant. It’s okay though. Because even though we are Catholic, we are on birth control. His name is Josh Lyman. No word yet on how effective he will be. I think he might be distracted.’”

“Oh Lord," Elvie chuckled. “Mom probably wanted to murder him.”

“He was fairly mean to her most years. The Canadian jokes never got old but he was never as mean to her as Uncle Sam was to Aunt Ainsley. Ainsley did get her revenge, though. But, I want to spare Marc… mostly. He’s been so great to me throughout this whole thing. He’s given up and put up with so much.”

“Hey, Vice President is always easy fodder. Just nothing from our bachelor parties, please.”

“Thank you. I’m thinking about telling the story about how we once ran from the east wing to the west wing butt naked.”

“I think my mom has pictures of that. We were - what - 2 and 3?”

“My mom has a video.”

“Oh yes,” Elvie exclaimed. “Use it. Does she have the picture of us, Josie and our dads in the Oval? The three of us are wearing the same suits as them?”

“Oh, yeah, that one is adorable! I’ll get her to find it. Do I have permission to make wheelchair jokes?”

“Hey, you are either going to be incredibly funny or sound incredibly insensitive. But I’ll be laughing either way.”

“Good. I knew I picked you for a good reason.”

“Thank you, Mr. President.”

 

I had such a bad day yesterday, between the major attack of imposter syndrome and my Facebook memories being all about Election Day last year, it was a crappy day. This makes everything better!! The title made me laugh really hard! I knew it was going to be good!

Oh man! I knew most of those stories, including the Valentine's Day one, but I didn't know the whole thing about Brad Whitford being a touchy-feely guy. That makes it soooo much better. That article had a lot more detail on many of those stories than I'd heard, which makes some of them better, and some of them worse.

Josie is the voice of reason. One of these days Leo will learn this! And I'm pretty sure Donna would not be happy that he's using her as a reason for his revenge.

Josie is good a keeping secrets. I know this because she has one she's kept about as long in a story I've been working on for awhile and I think it's almost done. But I love that she's using that to try and keep him from making this very big mistake!
And Leo's response... hahaha!! Perfect!

Leo is his father's child, he's a little dense at times, you'd think all these people telling him this is a bad idea would make him think twice. But once he has his mind on something he can't let it go.

My boyfriend was about to get on a video conference as I was reading this. About to as in he was about to hit connect and I laughed so hard and so loud. I got a bit of the evil eye. But it was just so funny, Marc thinking about how hot President Santos is, and Leo thinking of him as family. Love it! I also love that Leo made Star Wars references!

That is all.

Oh Leo. That wasn't funny at all. (I mean, it was totally funny and I laughed really hard, but it wasn't funny from Elvie's POV).Leo should have listened to EVERYONE else. I did love that he put the plastic frog in the water, though! That was great! The porgs!!

Bahahaha... I loved that you included the touchy aspect! And Leo totally deserved that!

I adore this! It's a perfect way to keep Elvie up on things and keep their friendship as well. It gives them both time to get away from the aspects of the job as well, even if they are talking about it.

At Sam calling Leo to yell at him, and Marc having them on a diet! I can totally see Rose and Marc ganging up on them about that.
But I love how Sam told Leo that Elvie has to prepare himself to take over should something happen to Leo. That's not really something Leo has had to think about, so it makes sense he might not have thought about it. But once it was pointed out to him, it totally makes sense why what he did wasn't funny at all.

I love that they have a plan that includes Leo's family and how they'd deal with the situation. I love that they are prepared, but it's so heartbreaking to think about and I'm sure it wasn't an easy plan to come up with. I love Elvie anyway, but this made me love him all the more. (I feel like the mom of these guys and he's gonna take care of my family. LOL!!)

O.M.G. I LOVE it! Just thinking about this in Jimmy Smits voice... Ahahahha....
And Leo wanting to spare Marc..

Yep, this really made my day! It was so funny, scary and sweet all in one!

 

I'm sorry you had a bad day and that facebook just made it worse (I know when I saw those memories I was put in a fairly foul mood too). But I'm glad this made everything better.

Yeah, I had read/heard most of those stories before, but I just laughed so hard at some of the added details.

Josie is just the only person who can really handle Leo. But she knows Elvie too and knew that he'd always take such a situation seriously, even if Leo used it as a prank.

And, yeah, I don't think Donna likes being used as an excuse for their plots.

EEEEE!!!! I am so excited!

Leo has a bit of Bartlet in him

Leo does have a lot of Josh in him. But I think only Josie and Marc really told Leo it was a bad idea - but still, if Leo should listen to anyone, it is those two.

BAHAHAHAHA! That my revenge for when you made me laugh really hard at my mother's.

THE PORGS!!!

I like the touchy-feeliness of Leo and I think I have to use it again.

I actually got the lunch idea from the fact that Obama and Biden apparently had lunch together on a weekly basis and I think it is something Leo would do with Elvie for both their benefits.

I can totally see Josie tattling on Leo to her father (and tattling on Elvie to Joey Lucas ). And I can soooo see Rose and Marc ganging up on Leo and Elvie about a lot of things. Part of my muse REALLY wants to do my 2018 DDC with Marc and Rose, with the Diary starting on the campaign, but with also a lot of flashbacks. I'm not sure if I want to do another WW diary, but my muse wants to.

Yeah. Sam is like the ultimate guiding figure for Leo, I think, so Sam would be quite blunt with Leo. Because, yeah, while it is Elvie's job description to basically be prepared for that one tiny chance that something will happen to Leo, Leo is just too busy with other things to think about what his friend might have to do. I think because, deep down, Leo knows that Elvie has it all covered.

Lol. Elvie is kinda like Josh in a way. Both are extremely infuriating at times and they know it and LOVE it, but behind people's backs, they would do anything for the people they love.

And if you are the mom of these guys, does that make me the terrible influence of an aunt, because I am totally okay with that!

MOSTLY! He said mostly.

Thank you!

Now! You are getting two vignettes in one this update. Partly because both are quite short, particularly because I need to get my backlog posted before December.