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

Title: Break Every Clock
Timeframe: 2033
Characters: Leo/Marc

AN: This is part 1. Part 2 is PM only, so tell me when you want it


Part 1:


Leo Lyman re-read the text message conversation for what felt like the 42nd time.

L: Hey Marc, my evening class got canceled. You should come over and I’ll make dinner. I might grab some wine and you can stay the night.

M: Sounds great!

L: Perfect
L: See you at 6
L: I am so excited!

It was now 6:30 and Marc hadn’t replied or shown up at Leo’s place yet. Leo was worried he had come off too strong. He and Marc had been dating for a few weeks now and certainly discussed the potential of becoming more intimate. Leo liked to take things a bit slow (well, except for that first kiss) plus both of them were insanely busy with school and mid-terms, but Marc seemed to be okay with whatever speed Leo was comfortable with. Marc even bugged Leo every time he blushed when Marc brought up more… practical topics. They had both been out of their last relationships for awhile now and both had gotten tested (and were both clean and healthy). Neither one was the type to be physically intimate without an emotional connection to their partner. They had discussed their preferences (the entire conversation had Leo blushing just thinking about it) and found that they were both versatile, but complementary in their desires. And they liked similar things (cuddling, Leo was so excited for all the cuddling, not that he and Marc hadn’t cuddled, but Leo just loved cuddling).

So Leo didn’t think he had come off to presumptuous in inviting Marc for the night but with each passing minute, Leo grew more anxious.

Then he heard footsteps down his back steps. Leo lived in a one-bedroom basement suite under a retired congresswoman his dad knew. It could be dark and cramped, but for the price and the privacy, he couldn’t complain (especially since Marc lived with like five friends he had gone to high school with).

Marc entered looking pale and defeated. His hair was soaked with rain and his navy blue hoodie soaked.

Leo smiled, getting up from his pile of textbooks. “Hi. I made mac and cheese bake.”

Marc sighed as he stood on the ‘welcome’ mat. “I am so sorry Leo, that sounds so good, but,” he said, voice softer than normal, pinching his nose. “Dr. Renaldo had us stay late so he could teach us some stuff on this new design program for earthquake simulations, and I’ve just been staring at a computer screen for the past four hours. I thought the drive here might help, but this headache is quickly turning into a migraine.” Marc was now rubbing his eyes quite hard.

“You get migraines?” Leo asked, concerned, pulling out a chair from his small table for Marc to sit. He was going to give Marc a nice back rub.

Marc didn’t sit. “Yeah, it’s fine. But I honestly just want to crawl up in a dark, warm room and just sleep. Can we maybe do dinner… and stuff tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Leo sighed, turning off the stove. “But I’m not letting you drive home if you aren’t feeling well.” Leo took the bake out of the oven and the aroma of bubbling cheese filled the room.

“Oh, god.” Marc quickly slipped out of his shoes and dashed for the bathroom.

Leo looked down at the dinner feeling so insecure. Marc loved cheese. Leo quickly put the dish in the fridge, not wanting the smell to bother Marc. He then went to check on his boyfriend.

Marc was kneeling on the bathroom floor in the dark. He hadn’t barfed. Leo tapped on the light and Marc winced in pain. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

“First, please, turn off the light.”

“Sorry!” Leo exclaimed quickly, shutting it off. Marc had mentioned wanting darkness.

“You wouldn’t happen to have some Tylenol with codeine?”

“No, but I can run to the CVS right down the road. Is there anything else that would make you feel better?”

“No, I just need to get home and lay with a warm compress on my forehead.”

“I can buy you a warm-pack,” Leo insisted. “Just spend the night. I’m worried about you.”

“Okay,” Marc relented, using the counter to help him stand up. Leo moved to support him. “I’m fine, I just need to be horizontal.”

Leo helped Marc to the bedroom, sat him on the bed and consciously remembered not to turn on the light. Leo quickly went to his dresser, brushed all the unlit tea-candles that were on top into the drawer and got out a pair of plaid pyjama pants, a baggy shirt, and a large sweatshirt, glad that he and Marc were roughly the same size, at least for lounge and sleep-wear.

Marc was already unbuttoning his jeans. “Sorry this evening isn’t going to be what you planned.”

“No, no….” Leo was momentarily distracted by the hardness of Marc’s legs as the denim slid off of them. “Thought maybe we can cuddle when I get back.” Leo handed Marc the pyjamas.

“Normally I just kinda like to wallow in my misery by myself when these things hit,” he said, covering his body back up again. “But if the room stops spinning, cuddling might be nice.”

“Okay,” Leo pressed a kiss to Marc’s cheek as he helped him into the freshly washed sheets. “I’ll be back soon. Feel better.”

“Hey Leo?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you got condoms for tomorrow. These sheets are too nice to ruin.”

Leo felt his face get very, very warm.


* * *


Marc heard Leo return. God, that man was loud. Marc’s migraines were mainly visual and light sensitivity and the darkness was so nice, but the slamming of the microwave door wasn’t helping.

“Marc?” Leo showed up at the bedroom door. At least now he was whispering… sort of.

Marc sat up and leaned on his elbow. “Hm?”

Leo entered. “Here’s a glass of water, and I bought Tylenol with codeine and Gravol and two warm packs which are just in the microwave.”

“Thanks, Leo.” Marc said, taking the bottle of Tylenol and popping two in his mouth. He washed them down with the water. “I don’t want to resort to knocking my out with Gravol just yet.”

“Okay. Can I make you some butter toast or something? I don’t think you should be taking those on an empty stomach.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Marc said, laying back down. Leo’s sheets were so soft and warm.

Leo returned with the warm-packs, which Marc put on his forehead and neck.

A few minutes later he walked out to the kitchen, warm-pack still pressed to his face, to see Leo buttering four slices of toast (Leo had to use the oven since he didn’t own a toaster like some freak).

“Marc? What do you need?”

“A bit of food and not to get crumbs in your bed,” he said, turning off most of the lights until the single light - the one above the sink, remained. He then sat at the table and was served by Leo.

“I can wash my sheets, you know?”

“Yeah, but I want to fall asleep in them tonight next to you.”

Leo smiled, biting into his own toast. “Yeah?”

“But it’s going to be bit of a disappointing night for all your efforts Lyman.”

Leo blushed - he seemed to be doing that a lot with Marc. “I actually love the idea of just falling asleep holding you.”

“I get to be the big spoon.”

“No, not when you aren’t feeling well.”

Marc grunted in resignation and there was a comfortable lull in the room as they ate.

“Do these… migraines happen often?” Leo asked.

“No, no, not since my surgery.”

“Surgery?”

“I was born with some pretty bad eye issues. I was practically blind if I didn’t wear my glasses and I would get bad migraines. I had laser surgery about two years ago now and thankfully I get nowhere as near as many headaches and migraines now. Only if I stare at equations and simulations for endless hours on a screen.”

Leo nodded as Marc took a sip of his water.

“I’d better lie down again,” Marc said, getting up.

“Do you mind if I clean up then come to bed?”

“Leo, you don’t need to spend your Thursday evening in bed with me. It isn’t even 8 yet.”

“But I want to.”

Marc gave him a small smile. The migraine wasn’t too bad. “Okay.” He re-heated the packs and walked back into the room, climbing into the bed, he buried himself back in Leo’s pillows. Leo came in a short while later. He had changed out of his jeans and into a pair of pyjama pants and a shirt.

“Just because we aren’t having fun tonight doesn’t mean you have to sleep fully dressed,” Marc teased, fully aware he was being hypocritical - but he was sick.

“What?” Leo asked. “This is what I wear to bed.”

Marc simply sighed and let Leo wrap his arms around him. They talked quietly for hours and fell asleep like that.


* * *


“Feeling better?” That was the first question Leo asked Marc in the morning as Marc rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Hmhm,” Marc affirmed, smiling up at Leo. “Thanks for everything.”

“Of course.” Leo pulled Marc closer, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “This was amazing.”

“I don’t know what kind of sex you had in the past, but it must have really sucked because we didn’t even do anything.”

Leo chuckled. “I meant just waking up next to you.”

Marc took in a deep breath. “Yeah. Something I want to do again, but maybe without the migraine. And with sex.”

“Tonight?”

“Sounds like a date. I don’t want that mac and cheese bake to go to waste.”

“No, never.” Leo’s phone then started to ring. He grabbed it off the nightstand and answered the FaceTime call when his thumb accidentally hit the button.

“Leo?”

“Mom!” Leo exclaimed in a very high pitched voice, quickly covering up Marc with the blanket, much to Marc’s unamusement. The camera probably didn’t pick him up anyways. Marc pulled the blanket off of his head and glared at Leo.

“Leo? Is everything alright?”

“Yep, yep, everything’s fine here. How are you?” Leo held the phone above him.

“Everyone is fine here. I just wanted to catch you before you ran off to class. I know you probably have plans this evening with Marc. Uncle Sam just wants numbers for Thanksgiving.”

“Well, I was going to ask Marc, but it is kinda early for normal people to know what they are doing.”

“Yeah, but you know your Aunt Ainsley—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll get an answer.” Leo looked away his phone to Marc on the other pillow, who shrugged. “I think it will be yes.”

“Oh good. We can’t wait to meet him. He sounds so wonderful.”

“He’s just amazing.” Leo just couldn’t help but look over again and smile.

“What do you keep looking over at?”

Leo began to stutter. He had been caught. “I… umm… there’s….”

“A cute boy in your bed?” Marc whispered. He would have yelled it, but he didn’t know Donna at all. Still, it got Leo blushing. This was a whole new side to Leo. Marc had only just found out that this cocky, confident man, was actually so bashful and insecure deep down.

“Is everything okay hun? You look really red and you’ve been sounding funny since you answered. Is that a heat pack beside you in bed. Are you sick?”

“No, Mom, I’m fine.”

“You sure, because I can be there in just a few hours.”

“No, I’m fine, Mom.”

“Oh, Leo. I can come for the weekend, sleep on your couch, make you some matzah ball soup.”

Marc’s eyes went wide. First a migraine and now Leo’s mother?

Leo let out a sigh. He was going to have to come clean to prevent his mom from coming. “Marc just wasn’t feeling well.”

“Marc? Marc’s there! Oh Leo! You should have just told me.”

“Mom, it’s not what it looks like. Marc just had a migraine.”

Marc moved into see Leo’s screen, resting his head on Leo’s chest. “Hi, Donna. I’m Marc.”

“Oh, hi Marc. I’ll let you two go now.”

Suddenly there was yelling on her end. “Donna! Donna! What are you doing? Is that Leo? Let me talk to him!”

“Josh, he’s busy, I was just about to let him be.”

“It’s like 8 in the morning! What could he possibly be doing that’s more important than talking to his father?”

There then seemed like there was a struggle over the phone. His father seemed to win but then they heard Donna yell, “Marc! He’s in bed with Marc!”

Leo’s face just got redder. “MOM!” Marc just laughed.

“Oh, okay, Leo!” his father yelled. “Have fun with Marc and we’ll call you back.”

“We love you!” his mom shouted.

“Love you guys too,” Leo said with a smile before hanging up the call. He looked down at Marc. “So those were my parents.”

Marc just laughed.

 

Edit: Because I got so excited about the story I forgot to add this:

Yeeessss!! And I'm all about a whole different series! I've been thinking about writing some Josh/Sam myself.

I love this show of insecurity in Leo. It's so hard to be at that awkward point in a relationship where you aren't completely sure of yourself and the other person.

Tee hee hee... blushing Leo! And with his parents, I'm just going to say he turns bright red and it's adorbs.

I love that Leo is excited for sex, but that cuddling is such a big thing to him, that he wants the physical affection of just being together and that's so important to him. As someone who is totally a cuddler, I can relate.

I just had to group these things together and say I love you for writing this. I know that you get migraines and it shows here because I can relate to every single one of these parts.
I remember one time dp wanted to lay beside me when I had one early-ish in our relationship, and I wanted him to, but his breathing was too loud and his breathing was moving the bed too much and his deodorant smelled too strongly. Basically everything about him was making it worse and I felt bad for kicking him out. It's really hard to explain to someone how normal noise, smell, light all get so magnified when you have a migraine, it's like having a terrible super power. But you made that so clear here with the sound of the microwave door and the smell of a favorite food.

I love this little 'argument'. I totally can see Leo normally being the little spoon, and not just because he's slightly smaller, but because that's just his personality - to want to be held. But I adore he says he gets to be when Marc isn't feeling well.

Another thing I can kinda relate to Marc. My eye site wasn't that bad that I needed surgery, but I had to go to vision therapy twice a week for a long time which gave me migraines, but it did eventually help them somewhat. And I really like this addition to Marc and his life.

Oh the snark! Snarky Marc is awesome! (And I totally just had a vision of Marc and Elvie having a snark off. )

OMG this whole thing was hilarious and I was laughing so hard.

I love this, how it comes up when Marc can hear it, but as we know, Marc doesn't put it together. We can't blame him, even if he knows there was a president named Sam and the current president's name is Ainsley, who would think that's who your boyfriend's mom is talking about?! No one! But I love how it's a call to what we know is coming.

Donna is totally my mom. Totally and completely, because that is exactly what she would do. More than a few times she's asked if I wanted her to get on a plane and fly to me. And she totally would if I did.

That is soooo Josh, I could completely hear it in his voice and see his face in my mind. I really was laughing so hard dp was like "what is going on over there?!"

This really shows how great their relationship is even early on. That Marc wasn't scared off by that shows how much he cares for Leo, because that was quite the introduction!

I need it now. NEED it!


This was so amazing to look at this early part of their relationship and how cute they both are. I'm so so excited to read part two!!

 

DO IT!!! I've been writing some more and it is just plotless and pointless but I love it.

Yeah, plus Leo is just a ball of awkward so it doesn't help/

Oh yeah, I totally agree.

Leo is totally a cuddler (I'm not, but I like the idea) so he's totally love the pre- and post- sex activities as much as the sex.

Yeah, I definitely pulled from personal experience. And yeah, I almost had Marc kick Leo out, just for the realism, but where is the cuteness? Because, yeah, it really is the worst super power.

My former housemate was the loveliest, most kind human person, and I got one of those migraines where I couldn't even be upright without like pretty much passing out from pain. I went to go call up the stairs for him to get him to do up a hot water bottle for me (I have since discovered Thermapearl packs with can be microwaved without a smell) and ended up on the laundry room floor. He was so kind in getting me back into bed and getting me everything I needed. He just wanted to help so much and wanted to sit in my suite and read incase I needed anything but I was like NOOOOPE I can't have any sort of light (and my bedroom has no door).

Leo is totally normally the little spoon, but I can see him wanting just to hold Marc when he's sick.

My eyes are nowhere near that bad, but I know a lot about vision issues and migraines.

Yeah... their first meeting is coming OHHHH THE SNARK (and poor Leo)

I didn't know how to end part one and then the idea of Leo covering Marc up because Donna calls hit me and I just laughed so hard.

I TOTALLY don't blame Marc for not putting it together, but it's fun to hint at.

Awww! I just love Motherly Donna!

HAHAHAHA! I love it when I make dp question your sanity. But, yeah, SOOOOO Josh

Thanks. Marc had no choice but to fall in love with this crazy family

Thanks, I had so much fun with early Marc/Leo (and the other part too )

 

Title: What Does The Fox Say?
Timeframe: 2051; 2013
Characters: Leo Lyman, Marc, JJ, Miri, Josh and Donna Lyman
AN: Written for the One-Hit Wonder Challenge. I got The Fox.

Much like the song this is very, very silly and if you are here from the challenge, very little from the show is needed to understand what is going on and little from the “Mav-and-Bri-verse” is needed, but I’ve added some more explanation within the prose if you are unfamiliar with either to hopefully make the story make sense. This is pretty much pure family fluff.


2051

41-year-old Senator Leo Lyman loved Sundays, and not just because he got to lounge in his recliner all day wearing jeans and a grey sweatshirt. It was his quiet day at home with his family, which recently added another member: Miri. Miri was swaddled in her sunshine yellow blanket, contently in Leo’s arms, sucking on the tip of his pinky. He looked down at her and smiled in amazement. Compared to JJ, she was just the calmest newborn. “You love cuddling with your Abba, don’t ‘cha Mirmir? Yes, you do,” he cooed to her.


“What does the dog say?”


Leo looked up at the couch beside his recliner. His husband, Marc had their son JJ on his lap and was reading the 2-year-old a book. JJ looked up with round glasses on his face and grinned at Marc, his Daddy. “Woof!”


Marc turned the page of the book. “Good. What does the cat say?”


“Meow,” JJ replied pointing to the cat on the page.


Leo went back to not listening to the story. Miri had started to fuss so he began to rock her. When that didn’t work, he removed his finger (which she really did not like), put her pacifier in her mouth and put her on his chest to rub her back.


Marc continued reading JJ the story. “What does the fox say?”


However, JJ had been momentarily distracted by his sister: Miri had let her pacifier fall and was now wailing. “Uh. I dunno.”


Marc sighed with a chuckle. “JJ, I’ve read this book to you thirty times this week. You know what he says. What does the fox say?”


Suddenly Leo leaped up with Miri and started bouncing her around and singing gibberish. “Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! What the fox say? Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!”


JJ started to laugh at his Abba.


Marc just stared. “You okay, Love? That wasn’t a stroke, was it?”


Leo looked from Miri - who was looking at him with silent, wide eyes - to his husband. “I… I have no idea where that came from.”


* * *


2013

“You know, when you announced you were going to retire and be the primary care-taker of Leo, I had my doubts, but you’re an amazing father.” Josh looked up at First Lady Helen Santos and smiled. When he first retired as White House Chief of Staff, he was honestly unsure, but it had all worked out well. He had retired; Donna - his wife - had kept her job as the First Lady’s Chief of Staff, and their now 3 year old son, Leo, got a full-time parent. Of course Josh still got out of the house by bringing Leo to the White House a few times a week to play with Leo-Vincenete “Elvie” Santos, the almost 4-year-old son of the Santos’ (normally the boys’ friend Josie would be here too but she was visiting her grandma for a week). Plus Josh still got to stick his nose and help out with whatever lobbying or project the First Lady was working on.


“Thanks,” Josh said. He then went back to his activity: he was currently playing on the floor of his wife’s office, helping the boys build a train-track using wood pieces. He was trying to use every piece out of the big Rubbermaid bin and the boys were having so much fun with his creation.


“It’s probably because you have the same maturity level as them,” she snarked.


“Ah, there it is. It’s never a compliment with you, is it, Ma’am?”


“I still haven’t forgiven you for making my husband run for president.”


“I’m smart enough to concede you that point.”


Suddenly, his wife hurried into the office. She had her blonde hair up in a bun and will looking rather fine in her suit. “Josh, you need to take the boys to the residence.” She was commanding and it kinda turned Josh on.


Still he asked, “Why?”


She sighed, ignored him, and turned to her boss. “Ambassador Marbury is on his way. The President had a 1:30 meeting with him, but needs to talk to the Indian Ambassador first, so Sam just called - he needs to us to distract Lord John and stall him for a bit.”


The First Lady shrugged. “That shouldn’t be hard.” Lord John Marbury was an infamous character: filterless and sexist, he was entertaining to entertain - except maybe not with little ears around. “Though yes, Josh, take the boys to the Residence.”


“Wait, hold on,” he said. “I’m not letting you two deal with John alone.”


Donna rolled her eyes and held a hand up to Helen to keep her from calling Josh a sexist pig. As much as Josh deserved it, Donna just wanted the boys out of here, even if it meant them not cleaning up the mess Josh had made. “Lord John is harmless - he’s 70 now.”


“EXACTLY! He has even less inhibitions now that he’s old!”


“Josh, you have no inhibitions either,” the First Lady pointed out.


Donna sighed. “Josh, I don’t want to deal with him calling the boys Gerald and corrupting their innocence.” Lord John had a habit of calling the boys’ late namesake - Leo McGarry - Gerald as a joke. Josh never liked when people not close to Leo joked about Leo’s memory. “It’s just about their quiet time; he’ll interrupt their schedule. Don’t make me pull rank on you. You are in my wing of the White House.”


“Fine,” he said, gathering the boys and making them hold his hands. “But, for the record, I love it when you pull rank on me. You are so sexy when you’re in command.” He growled with the back of his throat. “This is what happens when you domesticate wild Lymans.”


“Out!” she yelled at him before sighing and rolling her eyes. He had wanted her to yell at him.


* * *


“Are going to be good for me and lay down for your quiet time?” Josh asked Leo and Elvie as they made their way from the East Wing to the Residence. It was a slow walk when you had four tiny legs beside you.


“Nope!” Elvie declared with a laugh.


“You are just pure trouble aren’t you?”


“Yup, he’s bad!” Leo agreed, swinging on the end of his father’s arm to look at Elvie and stick his tongue out.


Elvie reciprocated the facial expression.


Before the boys could get into a brouhaha, men in dark suits approached Josh. “Please get Leo-Vincente in the residence, Sir.”


Josh was used to lock downs. After working in the White House for as many years as Josh had, one just kinda rolled their eyes when it came to lock-downs.


Still, Elvie - then Leo - began to cry as Josh hurried them along. He eventually had to give Elvie a piggy back ride and carry Leo into the West Sitting Hall. He sat them on the couch and knelt in front of them, taking off their shoes. “Hey, what’s up?”


Elvie rubbed at his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a bad boy and get us grounded.”


Leo nodded in agreement as he wiped his nose. “Sorry.”


Josh sighed. “We aren’t grounded. You guys didn’t do anything to get grounded, we just have to stay where it is safe. Now, would you like to break your mommies’ rules and listen to some music for ‘quiet time’?” he asked.


Both boys smiled and nodded, so Josh pulled up his satellite radio app and put on the top charts channel, expecting some Taylor Swift (the boys loved her). Instead, what came on (after the Coldplay song ended) was: “Dog goes wolf, cat goes meow, bird goes tweet, and mouse goes squeek.”



Was this what was considered “music” these days? What ever happened to The Who and CCR (was he really that old)? But the boys were copying all the sounds, so Josh guessed it was at least educational. And then the “chorus” started. “But there’s one sound, that no one knows. What does the fox say? Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! What the fox say? Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! What the fox say?”



The boys began laughing. It was nice to hear them laugh after being scared. Josh jumped up and began dancing around, making them laugh even more. Josh began punching the air, shaking his hips.


Josh stopped dancing once the song ended. “You two never saw that. We never speak of this again.”


He closed the app and put on Proud Mary for them off of his own playlist. He left the boys to sing (more like mumble) along to it, and he went off to cut apples for their snack.


* * *


2051


Later that night (actually it was 4 AM Monday morning, but he wanted to give Marc some more sleep), Leo was bouncing Miri up and down the downstairs hallway singing her an old Creedence Clearwater Revival song: Proud Mary (that and The Who’s Baba O’Riley were the only two songs that could get Miri to sleep), when it suddenly hit him: The Fox! “But there’s one sound, that no one knows. What does the fox say?”


Leo laughed at the old ‘one-hit-wonder’. God, the 2010s were a bizarre decade. He then caught a glance of a picture of his late father on the wall and laughed even louder.


In a blast from the past, he remembered his father dancing in the White House.


Leo laughed. He laughed until he felt tears streaming down his face.


He kissed the top of Miri’s head.

 

YEESSSS!!!!

Dawww.... <3 I'm really shocked they even had another kid after JJ. (I say after I made Miri younger. )

I just love the image of them both with a kiddo just relaxing on a Sunday! And to know how (probably) infrequent these moments might be in the future makes me love it all the more!

Oh man, that mental image was just so great!! And then:

This is so Marc! And it reminds me of something that was on a sitcom we watched once "Do I smell bacon or am I having the most amazing stoke ever?" which just made me laugh even harder than I already was. Which was pretty hard!

Awww... Helen recognising that Josh is a good daddy!

Aaannd then this happens. I just love their interactions and how Helen can really stand toe to toe with Josh in the snark, really even out class him!

I think Lord John would see it as somewhat of a complement, that he really did remember Leo and wants to continue that 'relationship' with his namesakes, but I completely understand why Donna and especially Josh wouldn't like it. I started cackling at the idea of Lord John showing up, but I agree little ears probably don't need to hear the things he says.

I'm sure he does like it! But the domesticating wild Lymans was such a great line!

Elvie being the troublemaker and Leo being the goody-goody has already formed! I love it!!

OH MY GOD!! We know how Josh dances, which is not well, so this mental image is so amazing and adorkable! But I love that he did it to make the boys laugh.

And then this...
That Leo remembers where the song came from and remembers this moment with his dad. It's sad because Josh isn't around anymore but it's just so lovely.

I adore all the daddy! moments in this, seeing how Josh was and how Leo and Marc are now. How that time helped shape the dad that Leo is. It makes me so happy!!

 

Oh, it's going to be good.

Hahaha. Probably for all his crying and troubles, JJ was absolutely adorable, so of course they had another kid! (and now I want to write more JJ as a baby).

Me too. I think its something they tried to do in the future, with varying degrees of success.

As soon as I got this song I was like "Oh my god, Leo is going to sing and Marc is going to be snarky."

Well he is!

Yeah, Helen just was never one to bite her tongue. I don't think the writers of Seasons 6 and 7 did her justice. It came off as mean but I think her and Josh had a lot in common.

I think I want to have the Leos meet John because I think it would be adorable... though yeah, I can see Donna and Josh being wary of 'virgin ears'.

You are just a bad influence Though, yeah, I want to write of Donna "domesticating" Josh

It is so adorkable and so very Daddy!Josh to just want to make them laugh.

Thanks. It is sad, but also so beautiful to have those memories wash over you unexpectedly.

Thanks. I didn't set out to write a really daddy-centric fic, but that really is what it turned out to be and it made me so happy.

 

A/N: These next two are kinda short but they both serve as prologues to a 3-part fic coming up, so I'm posting them both at once.


Title: Bad News Day
Timeframe: 2033
Characters: Josie, Sam/Ainsley, and an appearance by Leo
A/N: I kept going back and forth on whether or not I was going to finish and post this one, and it actually sat for a long while until I realized the one scene I was happy with made a good ‘prologue’ to a loose Elvie-centric arc my muse wanted.


It was a Tuesday evening in early September. Josie was sitting on her bed in the East Room listening to New York Minute as she FaceTimed her boyfriend and painted her toenails. He was back in Princeton, where she normally lived. She was only back in DC visiting her parents for a few days until the next semester started. Her sister was being a grump, so things were pretty boring.


“Yeah, I saw that,” Josie grumbled as she placed the cap back on the nail polish. “It sucks enough that Dr. Perkins had to retire, but did freaking Muller have to take over all her classes?” Josie was a Political Science grad student, while Drew was a Economics student, so a few of their classes and classmates overlapped.


“I just feel bad for Kaylee. She has no idea what is going to happen to her thesis.”


Josie winced. “Yeah, that’s rough.”


There then was a knock at her door. “Hey Jo? It’s Mom and Dad,” her father said from the other side.


Josie frowned. The three of them had finished dinner like an half hour ago. If they wanted to talk to her together, they would have done it then. Her heart started to beat faster. “Um, that’s my parents, Drew. Can I call you back in a bit?”


“Yeah, of course,” he said before she quickly thanked him and ended the call.


“Yeah?” she said, loud enough so her parents could hear. “What is it?”


They entered. Her mom was wearing a grey suit and her father was wearing slacks and a sweater. They hugged her tightly and for a long time.


“Okay, you guys are scaring me even more now,” she said, patting her dad’s back. Both sat on the edge of the bed with her.


Sam looked at Ainsley as she found the words. “I was just informed of an accident on Beoling Air Force base. A group of recently purchased experimental fighter jets were being flown on a test run. One had a mechanical malfunction, wasn’t able to eject and crashed.”


Josie looked at her parents confused. “Why should I care?” Not that she didn’t care that someone had crashed a fighter-jet, it just didn’t affect her.


“Josie,” her dad said softly. “It was Elvie who crashed.”


“What?” she looked from her dad to her mom, then back again. “Is he okay?” Elvie was one of her best and oldest friends. Sure they hadn’t seen each other in a while - about a year now probably, ever since he graduated Columbia and joined the Air Force - but they talked all the time. Her dad had been president from the time she was 9, till she turned 17. There were few kids who had the security clearance to hang around in the White House, let alone knew what it was like to be the President’s kid. Elvie was one of the few. Elvie was also one of the few souls brave enough to go along with Josie’s crazy hijinks. He was wild and crazy and so full of life.


“He was airlifted to Walter Reed. I’ve asked for personal updates on him, but,” her mother began stroking Josie’s hair. “We should be prepared for the worst.” Her parents were sensitive, but didn’t sugarcoat anything or give her false hope.


Josie managed to keep it together until her parents left the room. As soon as the door closed, she launched herself onto the bed and cried. This wasn’t fair. Nothing bad had ever really happened to her - sure she knew people who had died - Charlie Young, Grandpa Jed, and President Newell. But this was Elvie. He was just a year and two weeks older than her. They had been birthday buddies. He couldn’t die. She wouldn’t let him! Who else would bug Leo with her and whisper funny things in her ear during serious ceremonial events? He had brought a fart machine to King Charles’ coronation! Josie wouldn’t be able to see the monarch at Elvie’s funeral without laughing!



Her phone began to ring. If it was her boyfriend, she was just going to ignore it. It wasn’t.


“Leo?” she said weekly as his image appeared. She rubbed her eyes.


“I… I just heard from my mom….” He didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t need to.


“Yeah, my parents just came in.” No more words really had to be exchanged. “He’s going to be okay, right?”


“It’s Elvie, of course he is.” Leo was ever the optimist. He got that from his mother.


Leo and Josie stayed on FaceTime with each other, well into the night, which wasn’t odd for them. But both felt like they needed each other.

 

Title: Weekend with Elvie
Timeframe: Summer 2022; January 2034
Characters: Leo Lyman, Josie Seaborn, Elvie Santos, Marc, (with a brief appearances by Matt “Now-Retired-And-Only-Responsible-Parent” Santos)

Prologue
2022

“You know what the most pathetic part of this is?” Josie asked as she lay on her back on the side of the road, her head pillowed in her hands as she squinted up at the Texas sun.


“Josie,” 12-year-old Leo deadpanned. He was sitting a foot away from her, throwing rocks onto the road. “You’re the President’s daughter and it’s the year 2022. I’m pretty sure this whole thing is pathetic.” He and his best friend (and two members of the Secret Service) had been left behind by the motorcade… on a wind farm… in the middle of nowhere… on a day when the President was short-staffed and overbooked. It was as if the gods had conspired against them.


“No,” she replied. “The most pathetic part is that this will probably be the most interesting thing that happens to us this summer.”


“Oh woe is me,” Leo mocked with a high pitched voice. “My name is Josie Seaborn and I only got to travel to 18 states this summer on a private Boeing 747.”


“Yeah, for like 3 hours each where we have to get into cars, travel to a podium, watch my dad give the same speech, then get back into cars and back onto the plane.”


“See, what’s so hard about that? How did we miss getting into the cars again part? I left my book in the limo,” Leo huffed.


“We missed it because you have a weak bladder and a fear of being left behind.”


“Don’t remind me,” Leo groaned. “It is all my fault and I swear I’ll take full responsibility when we get back to DC.”


Josie sat up abruptly. “Well, in that case…”


Leo looked at her grin in horror. “No! Please don’t get us in any more trouble!” Then, a black SUV came into view, coming down the road. “Oh, thank God,” he said, getting up and dusting the dirt from his cargo-shorts. “Help has arrived.”


Josies two Secret Services agents - Melissa and Stephen - looked just as relieved, until they saw the agent driving. “Do you recognize him?” Melissa asked.


Stephen shrugged. “Maybe he’s from the Governor’s office? All Mrs. Seaborn said was that she would send someone she could trust.”


The SUV pulled up and the back door opened. Leo-Vincente Santos was there, smirking. “Get in, losers! We are going to the beach!”


“No we are not!” railed the agent driving. He only looked maybe 15 years older than Elvie. “We are under strict orders to go back to the ranch.”


“Michael, Mike, Mikie, I have been cooped up on that ranch all summer. I want to go to a beach and I’m pretty sure the First Daughter does too. And if you don’t, she’s going to scream and press her panic button and everyone is going to think you were trying to kidnap her.”


Josie, without missing a beat, drew in a large breath as if to start yelling.


“Oh, please, no,” Leo winced and covered his ears.


“Please, get in the car, Josie,” Melissa begged, sweat dripping off of her. “We can discuss this with air-conditioning.”


Josie grinned and attacked Elvie with a hug, though the three of them had seen each other earlier this summer at Leo’s 12th birthday. “Why are you here?” she said as Leo got in next to her. Melissa sat in the front and Stephen climbed into the back and they got back onto the road.


“Well, you guys are like 2 hours from Houston. So your mom called my dad and told him what happened - you guys are idiots by the way. He had a lecture he was scheduled to give and my mom is somewhere in Asia, so I suggested I bring the new guy into the field and pick you guys up.” Elvie reached forward and patted Mike’s shoulder, who just groaned.


Leo laughed. “Still terrorizing the agents?”


Elvie held up his finger. “It’s not my fault they always give me the newest hires. I prefer the term teaching. And I weed out all the bad ones.”


“The fact that one of your namesakes is Ron Butterfield is quite amazing,” Mike muttered.


“Anyways,” Elvie continued. “You guys are to stay at the Santos Ranch for the weekend, then, Monday, your dads will be in New Orleans and someone will drive you guys there to meet up with them.”


“Good to know they aren’t exactly feeling guilty about leaving us behind,” Leo huffed.


“Oh, they feel horrible and Josie’s mom sounded really mad,” Elvie reported.


“At them or us?” Leo nervously fidgeted.


“Them.” Elvie then paused. “Or you guys. I don’t really know. Either way, we should take advantage of your freedom and go to the beach!”


The Secret Service agents looked at each other, unsure.


Elvie shrugged. “Hey, the way I see it, you guys can either drive us to Galveston and we can be back at the ranch before my dad finishes his lecture in Dallas, or we can take my bikes. It’s only a 3 hour bike ride, but we won’t be back in time to see my dad wondering where we are.”


* * *


Josie was pretty sure she hadn’t had this much fun in awhile. After walking along the boardwalk, doing some shopping and getting burgers for dinner, she, Leo, and Elvie ran down the beach and into the salty water. It wasn’t exactly cold and her capri-leggings and dress didn’t exactly allow her to swim effectively, but she still splashed Leo every time he tried to dunk her. Then Elvie picked up scoops of wet sand and plopped it onto her head.


“Oh, I’m going to kill you!” she screamed, shaking her head. Mud flew off in all directions, hitting the boys.


“Pretty sure I’m going to kill all three of you!” someone called from the beach.


“Ah poop!” Elvie exclaimed. They looked and saw his father walking down the beach in a suit without a tie. He turned to his friends, knowing they were going to be in so much trouble, but that would be nothing new for Elvie. At least he’d be in trouble along with his best friends.

 

Bad News Day
Oh man... Even knowing that Elvie is going to be okay, that moment of finding something like that out is so emotional. But I loved it and I'm glad you decided to post it! I think it gives so many small details that are wonderful!

Is that Muller not a coincidence?
But I loved this little look into Josie's life at this point in time.

Yeah, that would be so nerve wracking. You can almost always tell when people have bad news, and I'm sure they were trying to soften it, but the not knowing is sometimes worse. But did like the mental image of Sam and Ainsley just holding Josie before they tell her something so upsetting.

That first time someone in your age group dies (or in this case almost dies) is a hard blow. But especially when it's someone you've known for so long and are so close to. And that they are so close to their birthdays really hits it that much harder. There's something about people who are close to our birthdays (I always loved that Josh focused on that in Noel, I thought it was such a realistic detail) that makes it hit home. I've done that with people in the hospital.
But I love how she thinks she refuses to allow him to die, as though she can will it not to happen.

Oh man! The hijinx those two can get up to! But how she think's Elvie's funeral really hits the emotion home. We know he lives, but this really gives another look at how close it really was.

Even if they don't say a word, just being able to see each other is a comfort. I imagine that was a long night.


Weekend with Elvie
I ADORED this!

I really liked this conversation between them. Josie sees it as nothing because she doesn't really get to see anything and it's probably boring. Leo, who lives a more 'normal' life sees it as an adventure.

Because they are their parent's children and their father's genes apparently are dominant. (Because I could totally see that happening to Sam too). Leo is so cute that he's mad he left his book in the car!

This is such a great detail. Of course they aren't going to let anything happen to the kids, but it must be so hard to be so paranoid (for good reason) all the time.

Oh man, poor Mike and all the other agents who Elvie has tortured! But this was a genius way to get his way!

And of course he justifys it as teaching! He's like the weedout classes in college. If you can make it a year with Elvie around, you'll do just fine!

This whole fun day they had is so much fun to read! Letting them be kids without the worry of the press or what other may think. Except for parents, but that's part of being a kid! It seemed so freeing and so happy!

And then when Matt shows up... Uh oh!

I can't wait to read the Elvie 3 part-er!!

 

Thanks. The rest of this was going to be Josie (with her parents) visiting Elvie for the first time, Ainsley medically retiring him, and Josie just learning she could just quietly sit with him to make them both feel better. I still want to write it, but I tried it from Josie's POV and I just didn't know enough about the military stuff, but maybe I'll try again from Elvie's drugged up POV. But my muse has been on a big Elvie kick lately (I hope you don't mind).

Honestly, it totally is a coincidence, unless I was browsing reddit while writing this and subconsciously used the name.

Thanks, I liked looking into Josie's mind.

Oh yeah, you can often tell, which can just make it worse, but I think Ainsley and Sam would also want to hold her for their own reasons, like "this crappy thing happened to our friends' kid, which sucks, but I'm also thankful it wasn't my kid."

Yeah, it's really hard when that first person your own age dies. For me, she and I weren't super close, but we were roommates for band trips and our birthdays were just over a week apart. And it is just a realistic detail because I do it with my friends too (I'm currently living with people and all our birthdays are 2 weeks apart). I suck at names, but I can remember birthdays.

Thanks. I think Josie is "the guy the guy counts on" so she just wants to make him okay. I also think she isn't necessarily spoiled, but she has never really gone without something she has needed.

Yeah, I had fun coming up with some of their hijinx (another one gets mentioned) because I'm sure they have some wild tales. When my friend died, all I could think of was our late-night tampon run in Seattle.

But yeah. I've been tempted to write an AU (or like a dream) where Elvie doesn't live and Josie and Leo are at his funeral (because my muse can be angsty like that).

Yeah, I imagine it was a long night for many of these characters (gah, another plot bunny), but sometimes you just don't want to be alone, you know, even if the other person is just on the end of a call.

Thanks! I love 20 hours in American and I just had to do it with Leo and Josie

Oh yeah, but it's an adventure Leo REALLY DOESN'T want to be on.

Oh yeah, they are their fathers' children. Because I'm surprised Sam wasn't a part of the 'left behind' 20 Hours plot (though his story in that is just the best)

Thanks. I almost didn't want them to have Secret Service agents left behind with them, but I figured that was just unrealistic (like this 'verse is realistic at all ). But yeah, they must be super paranoid, especially protecting kids.

Yeah. Josie had Elvie's code name changed during the Leo/Leo campaign for a good reason. I want to write the fic explaining why Elvie has protection (though legally he would get protection until he was 16, but I can see his parents not subjecting him to that unless he needed it, and in my head he needed it), but its another kinda angsty Elvie fic.

Exactly! He's part of the training. If you can protect Elvie and keep your sanity, you can move onto people that matter a bit more.

Thank you.

 

AN: This touches on some more serious topics but really skims over them but I’m going to pick up some of the themes in
a Elvie-Josh-centric vignette. I did this to kinda show really how naive Leo and Josie are - plus how closed off Elvie is being and the front he is putting on. I hope Leo and Josie didn’t come off as shallow or trying to fix serious problem by just having fun (though sometimes distractions can be amazing and time with friends can help mental health so much). Leo and Josie are just unaware because (I hope) nothing really traumatic has ever happened to them at this point, so they don’t quite have the experience or the wisdom to really ask the right questions, as someone like Josh would (and will).

Also, some elements in all 3 parts are based on true stories. If you think Leo and Josie are pushing Elvie off of a cliff in terms of comfort zones, you should meet my friends.

Part 1
Winter 2034

Josie Seaborn had voluntarily taken a long weekend away from her master’s studies at Princeton to attend the opening of the William Newell Presidential Memorial Library. He might have only been president for 18 months, but Josie always thought of Mr. Newell as a very kind man, a reasonable Republican, and a good friend of her mother’s. Plus any opening of a Presidential Library was bound to be a reunion of many familiar faces and any excuse to go to Florida in the middle of February was fine by her. Technically she was her father’s ‘date’ since Sam knew President Ainsley Hayes-Seaborn was going to have to spend the event talking with senators, but it seemed as though the widow, Mrs. Newell, was clinging onto Sam rather tightly, so Josie was free to mull around, trying to avoid any of the more pushy congressmen or congresswomen. She had actually been looking for her father’s former Vice President when she was spotted by her Tìo Matt.


“Josie!” he said, pulling her into a hug.


She grinned. “Hey Tìo Matt!” She looked around for her Aunt Helen. “Here solo?”


He nodded. “Yeah, it’s down-right impossible these days to drag anyone to these events to keep me company. Helen is madly working on another book, Peter is teaching a field school, Miranda just ended her maternity leave, and I can’t seem to get Elv out of the VA medical centre.”


Josie nodded. Back when they were younger, Matt would bring Elvie to these things to hang out with Josie, but so much had changed since her father’s administration. “How is Elvie? I’ve been meaning to FaceTime him more.”


He sighed. “The holidays were good, we got him home for a few days, and we got to spend time as a family. But now… I think he’s just pushing himself to get better way too quickly and I don’t have the excuse of the holidays to make him take breaks anymore. When he’s not in physical therapy, he’s studying for the bar exam. I keep asking him if he wants to come home for the weekend, or go for dinner, or even just help to go to the library to get him out of the medical centre for a few hours.” He shook his head. “Sorry. You probably have more important things to focus on. How’s school?”


“School is fine, but I want to hear about Elvie. He can be stubborn at times and doesn’t know what is good for himself. He can be frustrating.” Thoughts began forming in Josie’s head. “How long is he allowed out of the rehab centre?”


“If he’s with someone who can help him transfer, he can sign out for a weekend.”


“Let me talk to Leo, see if we can’t do something to lift Elvie’s spirits.”


Matt raised an eyebrow. “Like getting into trouble?”


“…Possibly. Would you be against it?”


He gave her a small smile. “No. Not at all. Just make sure I have deniability with his mother.”


* * *


Leo was focused. He has spent hours looking at this case for his civil rights class and he had just started to figure out the reasoning for the judge’s decision. It all made sense now. He madly scribbled in his notebook. In the distance, he heard his phone ring.


Leo didn’t look up from his mess of papers across his kitchen table. Marc was in the living room, working on his laptop. “Hon?” Leo asked, still madly writing.


“I’m not your secretary, Leo,” Marc said with a sigh as he got up and handed Leo his phone.


Leo looked up and grinned at Marc. “No, but if you help me get this summary done, then we can have fun tonight.” He pulled Marc closer by his belt loop and held him across his butt with an arm. Leo then buried his face in Marc’s stomach, smelling the warm fabric of his shirt.


Marc shoved Leo off, his fingers momentarily combing through Leo’s hair. “Let me do my work.” Marc went back to the sofa and Leo answered the FaceTime call. It was Josie.


“Hey Jos!” Leo exclaimed.


“Hey Leo. I wanted to make this quick because I have dinner with my parents to get to.”



“You’re in DC?”


Josie nodded. “Just for the weekend. It was the opening of Newell’s library today in Florida and since Imo is MIA, Mom asked me to attend to keep Dad entertained. Anyways, I ran into Tío Matt.”



“How is he?”


“Good. But he’s worried about Elvie and now I am too. Apparently Elvie won’t leave the medical centre.” Josie explained the situation. “He’s not getting any fun and it isn’t good for his mental state. So, I have a plan to get him out this funk, but I need someone who will be able to transfer him.”


Leo, biting his lip, looked over at Marc. Neither Leo nor Marc were exactly beef-cakes, but Marc did like to go for extremely long walks and had a part-time job as an construction worker to help pay for his tuition. Leo wasn’t quite sure about Elvie’s physical state - stupid man didn’t reply to many messages anymore - but if he had been allowed home for Christmas, he couldn’t need that much care. Between the Marc, Josie and himself, they could lift Elvie. “Yeah, I think I might know someone who can help.”


Marc, no longer paying full attention his homework, began to notice he was being roped into an infamous “three musketeer” plot. Was he going to finally meet the third member of this - frankly - insane trio? (He had heard of the “mooning of Prime Minister MacVale” right from Sam Seaborn). He looked at Leo with a questioning look, but didn’t say anything.


“Good,” Josie said with a grin. “What are your guy’s plans for Spring Break - or at least the first weekend?”


“Nothing we can’t cancel,” Leo replied.


At the use of “we”, Marc knew he was invited into this conversation. He got up and stood behind Leo. “Yeah, I think we can cancel your plan of a week, naked, in bed.”


Josie laughed.


Leo elbowed Marc. “Tell Elvie we will come,” Leo said with a smile.


“Oh, Elvie has no idea I’m planning this.”



“Is that a good idea?” Marc asked.


“Probably not but -”



“-it’ll give him a taste of his own medicine which-” Leo and Josie were having the same thoughts.


“Is exactly what he needs.”



* * *

Several weeks later…


Elvie had fallen. He was such an idiot. After his last physical therapy session of the week, he had gone to the cafeteria, gotten the gruel known as dinner (Salisbury Steak was not steak), then had brought it back to his private room to eat and study: his typical Friday evening. However, for some reason, he decided he wanted a change for his butt, so he decided he wanted to transfer to the normal chair that was at the table in his room. Of course he had forgotten to put the brakes on his wheelchair and of course he had fallen.


That had been about an half an hour ago. He had tried to pick himself up and pull himself back into his wheelchair, but his arms were exhausted. He had his phone in his pocket, but didn’t really feel like calling the front desk. Once the orderly came, he would get a lecture, and then he would actually have to eat his dinner, and he didn’t really feel like he wanted any of that. So he lied on the floor instead, feeling sorry for himself.


“Seriously, Lord?” he asked to no one in particular. He honestly didn’t know if he believed in an “all-loving” god anymore. But who was he he cursing to? “What did I ever do to deserve this? What did I ever do but praise your son and yet you do this to my father? Make me want to kill myself so he loses a son too! ‘Ye shall not test the Lord your God, as ye tested him in Massah.’ Yeah? Well you’re testing me so I’m testing you!” He then whispered, “Just… give me some hope for the future.”


Suddenly his door swung violently open. Leo Lyman and Josie Seaborn bursted into the room, followed by another man. “Get in loser!” his two oldest friends exclaimed at once. “We’re going…” they then took in the scene and all enthusiasm drained away. “Oh.”


Elvie looked at them as he struggled to sit up. He hadn’t been expecting visitors, let alone Leo and Josie. “Um, hi? What are you guys doing here?” He braced himself of the awkwardness of his closest friends getting used to seeing him in a wheelchair. Sure they had visited him in DC when he was in much worse shape but they always knew he’d improve from that point, but this was the point where he had improved to and there was little way up from here.


“We’re here to cheer you up, cranky-pants,” Josie declared. “What are you doing on the floor?”


Elvie sighed. “If you must know, I fell, so if you want to call the orderlies so I can get the shaming over with, do it now.”


Josie turned to Marc. “Guess it’s time for you to prove your worth.”


The three made their way to Elvie. Leo began introductions. “Marc, this Elvie, Elv, this is my boyfriend, Marc. We roped him along so he could help us do your transfers.”


Marc knelt down on the linoleum floor and smiled, extending his hand. “Hi. For the record, I had nothing to do with this plan.”


Elvie laughed as he shook Marc’s hand. It felt nice to laugh. “Oh, you’re going to fit in just fine.”


Marc laughed too. “I’ve heard a lot about you and I’m glad I finally get to meet you. Can I see if I can help you into your wheelchair?”


Elvie sighed. It was either this guy or an orderly, and he was now used to people he barely knew helping him with much more intimate tasks, so he nodded, pulled his wheelchair closer, put the breaks on, then lifted himself up onto his footplate.


“Just tell me what you need. Leo and Josie can help too if you want them.”


Elvie grabbed high up on the front of the frame to help with this process. “Just put your hands under my butt and lift on three. Try to use your knees to lift. Don’t be too freaked out if my legs start spasming.” He then looked at Leo. “Don’t worry, Leo, Marc will be like the 5th person this week to grab my ass. I can’t really feel it anyways.”


Marc got into position, practically straddling Elvie and helped him up and into his wheelchair. It was a fairly easy task. “Thanks,” Elvie said before Josie clobbered him in a hug.


“Oh, I couldn’t hug you enough when you were in Walter Reed,” she exclaimed. “But I’m hugging you all I want now.”


Leo couldn’t help himself and joined the hug too.


Elvie patted their backs. “In that case, please say there will alcohol involved with whatever you have planned.” He then looked at his tray of dinner - it looked even more unappetizing cold. “And maybe some real food.”


“We can certainly hit a drive through on the way to the airport, and we have to go to a grocery store in Denver anyway,” Josie said, clapping her hands. “But we got to get you packed first.”


Elvie stared at Josie. “Airport?” He looked at Leo. “Colorado?” He began backing away. “Packing? No. No, no, no. Whatever you have planned, I want nothing to do with it.”


“Come, on Elvie,” Leo said with a smile. “We got the Governor of Colorado to lend us his cabin up in the mountains for the weekend.”


“We’re going snow-tubing!” Josie exclaimed.


“No, guys, it’s not worth the trouble. I’d have to pack.. sign out… get a bunch of catheters.” He didn’t even want to think about the logistics of camping, snow, and travel.


“You dad already phoned ahead,” Leo assured him. “The nurses are going to give us a bag with all your medical stuff. We just have to pack your clothes and toiletries. Now, where’s a bag?” Leo and Josie began searching drawers and the wardrobe. Leo found a duffle bag.


“No, I really don’t want to go,” Elvie said as they began packing his sweatpants.


Josie looked at him with a frown. “Who said you had a choice? Marc? Where’s that duct tape? Looks like are going to have to go the kidnapping route.”


“You have got to be kidding me,” Elvie grumbled.


Josie was not kidding. “He’s never looked better!” she exclaimed after his wrists were taped together and his lips taped over.


* * *


Elvie, Josie, Leo, and Marc landed in Denver three hours later. They had rented an SUV, gone to the grocery store and got a ton of food and some alcohol, then headed up into the mountains where there was still a ton of snow, even in March.


Elvie had been uncharacteristically quiet for the trip - even after they had removed the duct tape. He had casually talked to Marc to get to know him during the flight, but he hardly spoke to Leo or Josie.


Marc was now driving; Josie was in the front seat, navigating, trying to find this remote cabin. Leo was in the back with Elvie.


“You’re mad,” Leo tried to keep his voice quiet so that Josie couldn’t hear, but she was nattering at Marc anyways and the music was turned up.


Elvie looked at Leo and sighed. “I didn’t want to come, but not like I had any choice in that, anyways.”


“We’re just doing what you would do. Come on, it’ll be a fun, crazy adventure, like you used to do for us! We’ll get settled in, go to bed, and wake up early tomorrow. I am so excited to just hang out with you guys and not have to worry about school.”


“That’s just it!” Elvie snapped, though he was still whispering. “You guys get to escape your problems! I don’t! You guys have just made mine worse!”


Before Leo could find a reply, Josie’s phone buzzed. “Um, it’s a message from the Governor’s assistant. She came up here to check on the place earlier today to turn on the water, turn on the furnace, and stock up the wood. It seems like everything is working, but the last person to use the place forgot to drain the toilet and with the cold snap, something broke. But the good news is that there’s an out-house.”


Marc was screaming, “THAT’S NOT GOOD NEWS!” But Elvie just hung his head.

 

I saw you posted this last night, but I didn't get to read until this morning, and did so on my way to work. It was such a fun thing to read when I was dreading going to work!

Of course I don't mind, I love Elvie!! I wish my muse would include him more. I think she's just not good at his brand of snarky so he comes to her in little bits.

No, I don't think they do, at least not here. I think they come across as naive, but that's to be expected. They really don't know what Elvie is going through or how best to deal with it. They fall back on what they know, but things have changed and that change can be hard. I think it's very realistic.

Dawww... I love the idea of Josie going with Sam to this type of thing!

This just made me so happy. That she was so excited to see him, and he, her. It really goes to show the family they have and how much love there is to go around.

Elvie!! But I completely understand the impulse. He just wants things to go back to normal, or as normal as possible and if that means working himself to death, then that's what it means. But that can set you back and make things take longer, but it's hard to convince someone of his personality of that.

He knows them so well! But I'm sure he'd be all for it if it helps Elvie.

Tee hee hee... I loved this little interaction. With Leo being his dad and being obtuse, Marc having none of it, but still being sweet and Leo trying to make up for it in the best way he knows how.

YES!
I don't know which I feel worse about the fictional character, or the fact that he's like 22 at this point.

And this is where he should be afraid, very afraid.

This cracked me up! I'd totally see Leo being this forthcoming with Josie, but the fact that Marc is as well says a lot. Even if it was completely a joke (and I'm not convinced it was) that still shows a level of comfort that makes me so happy!

I imagine that's not a mistake you'd make too many times.
Although, the amount of times I've forgotten to set the break on a bed at work and then leaned on it and almost face planted on the patient might say otherwise.

Can I just hold him?!
This whole thing with him on the floor asking what he did really got me. But he's totally going through the stages of grief and it's healthy. But Josie and Leo showing up right then was just so perfect. And while I'm sure he was startled, embarrassed and feeling very awkward, I think he'll look back on that moment some day and really appreciate it. Maaayybee not everything that comes after, though.

Marc just knows what to do by jumping in, introducing himself and offering to help. He makes it seem so normal, which I'm sure Elvie appreciates. But the snark really helps too!

I'm sure this is a bit self-deprecating, but man it made me laugh.

This just warmed my heart!

Oh guys.
I know they just didn't think it through, that Elvie's had so much taken from him and to force him to do something and he can't really defend himself, it breaks my heart. I know they are coming from a good place, but still....

And this is what says to me specifically that they are trying to do things the way they always would, which is understandable. They've just not had enough life experience to think it through. Hell, plenty of people who have would probably do the same thing.

Oh man, I've been waiting for this since your outhouse adventures and I can't wait to see what happens!

I hope Elvie doesn't stay mad long, even though he has every right to be. He deserves to have some stupid fun.
I can't wait for the next part!!

 

I'm glad it could give you some fun when you were on your way to work. I know I love thinking up plots when I have to kill time.

Good, because my muse kinda barfed out like 2 other Elvie fics I will post after finishing posting this one (they all kinda string together). But I do have a Marc/Leo fic also in the works. But, yeah, Elvie's snark is kinda like Josh's, with both of them I worry about going to far. But hopefully this Elvie vomit of mine with encourage you to write more of him, because I love it when you do!

Thank you, naive was what I was going for, for those exact reasons.

Me too! She's definitely a daddy's girl.

Thanks. I just loved the idea of them all just being a family from their shared experiences that like no one else will understand. They all know how hard it is sometimes and are all just there for each other and it is just so fun and happy to write!

Yeah. He also wants just to keep his mind busy, which yeah, without rest, can just make you sick and set you back (ANNNNNDD HERE COMES ANOTHER PLOT BUNNY).

Yeah, he put up with them as toddlers and has been around as the "retired" parent for the rest of it, so he probably knows maybe even more than the other parents what those three got up to. And he just wants his son to have some fun.

I just love them both so much - they are just so adorable

I need to write them a bit older for you

Yeah. He should be afraid for his life, limb, and national security.

It wasn't a joke It was what Leo wanted to do with his Spring break!

You'd think you wouldn't do it to many times, but my butt says otherwise

Yeah, I gave him his own version of a Bartlet rant. And yeah startled, embarrassed and awkward were his feelings but i think, in the end, he was happy his prayers were answered.

Marc is just so outgoing (I guess I made him like that - I hope I didn't ruin any vision you had for him), but also so very understanding. He's the new friend Elvie needs right now - because SNARK.

His humour is just so me, I hope it isn't 'premature'.

I want to write her visiting (and Leo and Momma Abbey) Elvie in Walter Reed, but my muse just isn't having it.

Yeah, just kinda their naivety/wanting things not to change coming out. This is also kinda based on a true story. In senior year of high school, my friends and I all kinda went through rough patches at one point or another, so we'd sometimes kidnap each other and force each other to do fun things. One week I was kinda down in the dumps because I got accepted to a great university in the lower mainland but I knew there was no way I could go, so my friends took me bowling. But to get me to the bowling alley, they duct taped me up. It was kinda like that scene in Rogue One:

Looking back on it, it was funny, but at the time it was like, REALLY GUYS?

Yeah, their hearts are in the right place, but they didn't think it 100% through, but they have no reference because Elvie is being so closed off.

It's going to be good.

Elvie, is a bit stubborn, but yeah, he does deserve stupid fun!

 

Part 2


“We can go back into Denver and get a hotel room for the weekend,” Leo told Elvie in hushed tones. Marc had just piggy-backed Elvie through a cleared path in the snow, up four stairs and into the cabin. Leo had carried Elvie’s wheelchair in. Josie and Marc were now unloading the luggage and other stuff.


“No, no,” Elvie sighed. “I already feel bad enough that you guys took time out of your Spring Break for me. I don’t want to make you change plans.”


“Elvie -” Leo groaned. He was getting tired of Elvie’s attitude.


“Besides,” Elvie forced a grin. “You’re the poor suckers who have to use an out-house in zero degree weather. I have catheters and drainage bags.” He didn’t want to address the “number two” situation.


Leo shook his head. “You wanna see if you can get the fire-place going? The Governor’s assistant said something about the furnace not being enough given the weather and I’m pretty sure you’re the only one of us who was in scouts.”


Elvie nodded and went to work.


A few minutes later, after everything had been unloaded and groceries had been put in the fridge. Elvie had a fire going and everyone took a minute to warm up by it. Josie plopped on one of the couches, still wearing her coat, and announced, “I’m pooped. I want a night this weekend where we talk till dawn, like we used to at Camp Bartlet, but maybe not tonight.” She got up again and gathered her bags. “Marc, I think the Governor said there was like 3 single beds up in the loft.”


“Thanks, but, I’m fine on the couch.” The couches were pretty big and wide and looked super comfortable for sleeping. “I want to keep an eye on the fire, make sure it doesn’t go out.” He vigorously rubbed his hands together. “I think we are going to need it.”


Leo pointed at Elvie. “You and I are in the master bedroom so I can help you change positions. Your dad sent me some videos. The bed’s a bit high I think, so if you want Marc to do your transfer, he can.”


Elvie nodded and looked away. “Thanks.”


Leo flung his arms around Elvie’s shoulders. “Did you honestly think we’d haul you out into the middle of nowhere and not be prepared help you?”


“Yeah,” Elvie deadpanned.


“Oh ye of little faith,” Leo smiled. “We know exactly what we are doing.”


* * *


Leo had no idea what to do. He had set his alarm to go off two hours after they had gone to bed, but only an hour later he had woken to Elvie writhing in pain, his breathing erratic. Tío Matt had advised them about Elvie’s possible leg spasms but Leo was on the verge of calling an ambulance. Elvie’s legs were stiff as boards, but he was also seemingly trying to sit up.


“Elvie? Elvie?” Leo was not sure if he should wake up his friend from this nightmare or not. “Marc?” Leo called, turning on the lamp and reaching for his phone. He didn’t want to worry Elvie’s parents, so he called his own.


Marc came in, looking tired and concerned. He went to Elvie’s side of the bed as Donna picked up the call. She looked tired. Her imagine was fuzzy as she was lit by only her bedroom lamp.


“Leo? What’s wrong?” Of course she knew something was wrong, he was calling her in the middle of the night.


“Mom? Something’s wrong with Elvie.” Leo turned the camera.


Donna sighed, but Leo heard his father, his voice uncharacteristically soft, and he was surprisingly not a complete grump. “He’s having a nightmare. Gently wake him up and watch out for punches. He’s probably going to be having a hard time breathing so he’s going to want to sit up.”



By this time, Josie had woken and was watching, scared, from the doorway.



“Elvie?” Leo rubbed his friend’s shoulders and arms. “Come on.” He sighed, then spoke a bit louder. “Leo-Vincente? Come on Elvie!”


Elvie woke with a gasp and began hyperventilating, looking around with wide eyes. Marc helped him sit up while Josh spoke. “It’s okay Elvie. You’re with your friends. They’re there to help. Trust me, they are going to help.”


Elvie began grasping at the side of the bed. He shoved Marc out of his way and fell onto the floor.


“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” Marc exclaimed as Elvie just ignored him and slid his body to the nearby wall.


“Guys, just leave me with him and leave the room.”



* * *


Elvie tried to focus on pressing his back against the wall. Josh, from Leo’s phone, was telling him to, “Breathe, just breathe. When you can, tell me what’s wrong.”



Elvie took a few more shuttering breaths in. “I have to apologize to Marc… he’s been… so nice… and I just… shoved him.”



“Yup, I definitely had to apologize to some people for my actions during my panic attacks, but its okay. I understand. We can explain to him after you tell me what caused this.”



Elvie just shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. It was getting so long now, gone were the days of his buzz-cut, but he liked it. He tried to focus on his hair.


“Was it the flight?”



“No.” Elvie knew his answer came out too defensively.


“Okay. Is it being away from the hospital? Away from your parents? Maybe a bit of all three?”



How did Josh know? Elvie nodded as he felt tears run down his face. He felt so embarrassed.


“That’s okay. Did you want to go home?”


He shook his head and wiped the face with the bottom of his sleep-shirt. “They dragged me all the way out here and they just want to have fun. I don’t want to ruin their vacation even more.”


Josh sighed. “They want you to have fun too, Leo and Josie are just worried about you. And you are going to love Marc so much - he loves teasing Leo.”



Elvie cracked a smile at this.


“Yeah, so. Tease Leo, get him into trouble, have some fun, let your friends help you with the physical stuff because all they want to do is help, and then, maybe, I’ll come down to Houston in a few weeks and we can talk about some stuff that you don’t want to talk to them about.”


Elvie nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.” Elvie would let them do the physical stuff. It was still embarrassing and intimate but nowhere as burdensome as his mental health right now.


Josh smiled. “It’s a deal. I’m going to hang up now so you can call the idiot squad back in when you are ready. Call me anytime you need me.”



“Okay, thank you Uncle Josh.”


After hanging up, Elvie took in a few more deep breaths before calling, “Okay guys! I know you are all out there hovering like Gramma Abbey.”


The door tentatively opened. Leo was the first to enter. “Josie was going through the bag the nurse gave us and found anti-anxiety medication. Do you need it?”


“No, guys, it’s fine. If I need some I’ll take it. Look-”


“Will you?” Josie said, hands on her hips. In that moment, she looked exactly like her mother.


“Yes. Now, I’m sorry for freaking you guys out and, Marc, I’m sorry for pushing you away.”


Marc smiled, sitting on the floor. “Don’t worry. I’ve had my share of panic attacks. The last one was thanks to Leo. Because he was an idiot and didn’t tell me his best friends were kids of presidents.”


Elvie laughed, “Leo’s a jackass.”


“Yeah, he really is.”


“I say we spend tomorrow exchanging embarrassing Leo stories.”


“Yes!” Marc exclaimed. “I want to hear your version of Sam’s second inauguration.”


“YES! That’s a classic!”


“Can Leo and I help you back into bed?”


Elvie nodded. “I think I like you more than I like your boyfriend right now, Marc,” he said after Marc and Leo had hoisted him back onto the bed.


Marc laughed. “That seems to be a common reaction when your gang meets me.”


Leo huffed.


Josie grinned. “If you guys like each other so much, why doesn’t Marc sleep in here?”


“Because that would make Leo jealous,” Marc replied, rolling his eyes.


“Because I would get to sleep with Marc or because Marc would get to sleep with me?” Elvie fluttered his eyelashes.


“Oh I think there is more than enough room in this bed for four of us if we spoon, Elvie, Dear,” Marc said with a wink and a laugh.


Leo was now bright red. “Alright! Marc! Josie! Out! Only I get to spoon Elvie tonight.”


Marc kissed Leo on his way out. When they were gone, Elvie smiled when Leo got into bed. “Thanks Leo.”


Leo smiled. “I just wanted to have some fun with my best friends this weekend.”


“And Marc?”


“Added bonus.”

 

Oh no, that was definitely in my mind, that he's quite outgoing, and definitely more so than Leo. Marc has the kind of personality I wish I had!

Not at all! Everyone deals with things differently and humor is certainly one of those ways. When my grandfather had to have an above the knee amputation (way above the knee) at 80, we thought that was going to be it, he'd give up. Instead when they wheeled him back from the recovery room and he saw us, the first thing he said was "Aaaarrrrr..." because now he was a pirate with a peg leg.

Why would you say that Leo!
I did love that he offered to go back if Elvie wanted to, and that Elvie kinda turned it back on them saying they'd all have to go to the outhouse and he wouldn't. Though I suspect that's not exactly going to be a true statement.

Well I'm glad someone knows how so they don't freeze to death! Although all of them snuggling for warmth would be pretty fun! (Little did I know when I thought that, that something similar would come up but for a different reason. )

Of course she knew something was wrong, the phone call in the middle of the night is every parents worst nightmare. Poor Leo feeling so out of his depth, he thought he was prepared for everything and I know he must have been terrified. And poor Elvie having to deal with this at all, but especially in front of his friends. But I love that Leo called his parents for help, I'd probably have done the same thing.

At the surprisingly not a complete grump, but I love how Josh just jumps in because he knows what to do and how to help. I think having something like Facetime really helps with this kind of situation, being able to see what's happening is much better than someone just explaining it. And when Josh and Elvie talk, seeing a face might be better as well.

Needing to get away and not really being able to do so easily is so hard. It's hard to see Elvie going through this, but it was this line that really broke my heart.

He knows because he's been there, Elvie. Which I think Elvie doesn't know yet (?) but I'm guessing he will. I just love how Josh tries to get to the cause because Elvie probably doesn't know exactly, but having someone else say it might help him figure it out, or admit to himself.

And then once things have calmed down, Josh turns to something else completely, something fun and distracting.

I don't know if you have plans to write that, but I would love to see it. I just love the dynamic we're seeing here with Josh understanding and Elvie responding to that understanding. We know Josh is sweet, he's always has been and we especially see it with his kids, but I love seeing it with someone else's kids.

Poor Leo, people are always telling his embarrassing stories! But he's just so awkward and they make for such great stories!!

I ADORED this part! I'm glad Elvie is having a bit of fun and that Marc is playing right into it. Leo may be sorry he ever introduced them. But it's so great that we (and Elvie) see exactly what Josh was talking about right away, that Marc loves to tease Leo.


The only problem with the multi quote is it makes quoting the whole damn thing easier, which I basically did. I had to pull out more than a few because I was just saying or or or a combo of all three.

I can't wait for part three!

 

Good, because I just saw Leo with someone outgoing and confident like Marc, to make up for all of Leo's social awkwardness.

Bahahaha! Sorry, that's hilarious! Mostly because I could totally see either one of my grandfathers doing this.

Leo really should know better than to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing

No, it's not exactly a true statement, but it's a way to look on the bright side? He's going to have to go a lot less.

Hehehehehe. Yes! It would be pretty fun, whatever the reason

Yeah. That's one of the reasons I had him call his own parents because he (and I) knew a random phone call in the middle of the night regarding Elvie would probably just drudge up horrible -and recent - memories for Matt and Helen. But I probably would call my own mom before my friend's mom too.

And yeah, it really just sucks for everyone, but having it happen in front of his friends, just adds a layer of embarrassment for Elvie.

I think if Josh was woken up for anything less than one of the kids in trouble (his or his friends' kids), or national security (which in some situations probably overlaps ) he would just be a complete grump. And yeah, I use FaceTime because it seems kinda futuristic, but it also really helps in situations like these.

Yeah you don't really think when it comes to panic attacks. It really breaks my heart to do this to Elvie, but it is also kinda cathartic.

No, Elvie doesn't know (yet). And yeah, Elvie probably can't pinpoint the exact causes - or he doesn't want to admit them to himself - so hearing "multiple choice answers" is easier.

Of course!

It's already written My muse has a problem and I'm not sorry (though it has meant I have fallen behind on my DDC - ah well, this is the year where I learn just write what I want). Because I just love Elvie and Josh and them together and being funny but also dealing with serious topics.

Poor Leo is just such an easy target, but I think deep down he's happy to help where he can.

I just love Elvie and Marc's relationship so much now. I really have to write more of them together.

Bahahaha! I totally understand because I've done it too.

I hope you enjoy the conclusion and aren't too Elvie'd out, because I have a few more Elvie centric things.

 

Part 3

In the morning Josie made eggs and toast with Leo’s help while Marc helped Elvie get dressed.


“I’m getting better at doing this by myself,” Elvie said as he sat on the bed, swinging his burgundy zip-up hoodie around his shoulders. His shoulder injury meant he now had to put his jackets and sweaters on like his late Grandpa Jed did. “But the hight of the bed and lack of room in the bathroom kinda doesn’t help. And the floor is just damn cold.”


Marc nodded. He had mostly just helped Elvie with his sweatpants and balance on the bed. “Leo and Josie didn’t exactly do a great job vetting this place. Using that outhouse is not fun.”


Elvie suddenly got extremely focused on putting on his white socks. “I’m going to have to take a laxative and use the outhouse later this afternoon or else Leo is going to have to clean up a mess tonight. Is that okay? I mean, as much fun as it would be to get revenge on Leo for pooping in our kiddy pool when we were three, you guys only brought one set of pyjamas for me.” Elvie now had some control over his bowel movements thank to stem cell treatments but it was much… safer for him to be on a schedule and he had - thankfully, given the outhouse development - brought stuff to make the process easier.


“Of course, just tell me when and we can go. I understand why it might be easier to trust me then Leo or Josie. You need to tell me all about growing up with Leo.”


“Oh I have some stories for you,” Elvie laughed.


* * *


“At that point, he was fed up, so tired of me, so he storms out of the tent just to prove to me he’s not afraid, and he runs right into an opossum.”


Marc continued to laugh at Elvie’s story. They were on the couch while Josie and Leo decided to venture outside to the attached shed.


“He screamed so loud, I honestly thought it was like an axe-murderer. He dove back into the tent and just hid in his sleeping bag. Thankfully my dad heard and came out to the yard to check on us and Leo would not go back inside, but he didn’t want my dad to leave, so my dad had to join our ‘camping’ trip.”


“What are you telling Marc now?” Leo scowled as he entered the cabin, knocking the snow off of his boots. He had his winter coat on, gloves, and a hat pulled down.


“The opossum story,” Marc laughed.


“Well, if you two ladies have had your fun over your tea,” Leo huffed. “Josie and I got the snowmobiles up and running and the tubes blown up.” He searched in the closet and found two more ski-suits.


Marc got up and looked down at Elvie. “I guess there’s not much point in bringing your wheelchair.”


“No, Marc, there isn’t,” Elvie deadpanned. “So give me a piggyback out to Leo’s death.”


“Oh, he’s not going to be that dramatic - he’s just going to scream like a little girl - a lot,” Marc countered.


“Like he’s seen an opossum?” Elvie quipped.


“Well, probably not that much.”


* * *


“This is how I die,” Leo announced. He was on a blown-up tube - which was tied onto another tube - holding onto Elvie (more for his own sake than Elvie’s). Josie was on the other tube and Marc was pushing them off the side of a mountain- or at least it felt like it. They were pushing down of ski run, no longer in use. “I am going to die frozen and not able to feel my face.” It was below freezing on this clear day but they were going down the mountain anyways.


“Oh it’s not going to be that bad,” Elvie said. “Not like flying a faulty fighter jet.”


Josie and Leo exchanged glances.


“Oh come on, when can I start making plane crash jokes around people?”


Leo replied, “How about when we aren’t being pushed down a - AHHHHHHHH!”


Marc had launched them off, jumping on with Josie, and they began sliding down.


* * *


A few hours later, they were all back in the cabin, drinking coffee spiked with Irish cream around a fire, warming up from their time in the snow and cold. They had spent a few hours on the mountain and had a ton of fun.


Suddenly, Elvie put down his coffee. It had been awhile since he had drunk coffee and he had forgotten about these effects. It was clear that his suppositories were not going to be needed. “Uh, Marc?” he asked. “You’re not tired are you.”


“Nope,” Marc said. “What do you need?”


Elvie looked towards the back door. “I gotta go and I don’t think I’m going to need any pharmaceuticals to do my do-do.”


Marc put down his coffee. “Just let me get my boots and coat.” Elvie was so thankful Marc ‘got it’.


“What do you need?” Leo asked. “Where are you going?”


“I just need some help,” Elvie grumbled.


“With what?” Leo pressed, getting up.


“I need to crap, okay? And because of you idiots, I have to make poor Marc take me out to the outhouse and help me balance on the can, and I feel so bad for making him do it and so embarrassed, but I need to poo and I can’t freaking do it on my own! I can’t crap on my own and it is so freaking frustrating!” Elvie burst and the room went quiet. Marc helped him onto his back and grabbed a thick throw blanket.


* * *


“Sorry for exploding back there,” Elvie mumbled, shivering, though he had a blanket over him. The cold was not helping this process. It was going to take a few minutes, at least. “Sorry for, you know, making you stand over me in an outhouse. Thanks for all your help.”


Marc smiled. “It’s my honour. I’ve been meaning to tell you but I didn’t want to sound trite, but thank you for your service.”


Elvie started to laugh. “I’ve heard that a lot, from many important people - so much so that I’m getting tired of it, but I think I’m going to remember this time… because of our current situation.”


Marc chuckled. “I’m glad I got to meet you and I’m so glad you came out here and I could help. Whenever you reply to one of Leo’s messages, he gets so excited.”


“I can tell Leo really likes you. He’s so insecure, but the way he teases you - and you tease him - really shows how much he trusts you.”


“Thanks, that means a lot coming from one of his best friends.”


There was a knock at the door. Elvie sighed. He knew he had to apologize. “What?”


The door to the small outhouse opened and Josie and Leo stepped up and in. They were wearing coats and hats and had brought another blanket. “We brought rum to warm everyone up!” Josie held up a flask.


Elvie grabbed it and took a swig. “I’ve been a jerk.”


“Yeah, you have,” Leo said, taking the flask and drinking. He made a face and gagged, steadying himself on the plywood wall. “But we’re sorry for bringing you out here and not being completely prepared.”


“No, I’m sorry. You guys just wanted us all to have some fun, and I am having fun.”


Josie smiled. “Good. And we understand why you are frustrated, but we are all here to help. Please don’t be embarrassed.”


“Yeah, well, we are all currently having a heart-to-heart in a freezing outhouse while my pants are down and Leo’s boyfriend is holding me. It doesn’t get much more embarrassing than this.”


Leo smirked. “Well at least it’s so cold it doesn’t smell.”


“Yet,” Elvie corrected.


* * *


The rest of the weekend was spent eating, drinking, playing games, and laughing. Elvie hugged Josie, Leo, and Marc when they dropped him off back at his room in the VA medical centre.


“I am going to miss you so much!” Leo exclaimed, holding Elvie close. “You sure we can’t spend the week?”


“I mean, Houston is a blast, but my weekdays are pretty filled with therapy. Besides, if you guys stay, my parents are going to want to meet Marc and I’m not sure Leo is ready for all the embarrassing stories my mom has on little baby Leo.”


Marc raised an eyebrow.


“Alright,” Josie sighed. “Just answer your phone once in-awhile!”


“Yeah!” Leo said. “Phone us. Visit sometime!”


“I will, I will.” They started to leave. “Thanks for everything. I love you guys. Oh, and Marc, thanks for coming,” Elvie said with a lopsided grin. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”


“Oh it was worth it for all the ammo to use against Leo,” Marc laughed.


-fin

 

YEEESSS!!! I'm so excited for this!

I do too! I have a piece I started a long time ago with the two of them that kinda stalled, it might be brewing again after reading them here!

Not Elvie'd out at all! I'm loving it!

Hahah... I love that he has to put on his jacket that way now. I mean, I don't love that it happened to him, but it's such a great detail.

His humor at this situation is great. He knows he's not going to have any choice, so he deals with it the best way that he can. He still isn't fully used to this situation, so frustration and anger come out a lot (understandably) but the humor serves him well.

Yeah, I think it would be much easier with someone you barely know rather than someone you've known your entire life. Even if they are really close to you, that can sometimes make things more awkward. It's totally not the same thing, but I once was called to do an EKG on a former teacher and I bribed another therapist to do it because I didn't want to manhandle her boobs. That would have been really awkward for both of us. Strangers are sometimes better.

That story!! It's so Leo! And I love the mental image of dad!Matt sleeping in a tent in the yard with the two of them.

Ahhahaha.... again with the humor, which is great. That's something I think is hard to judge for the friends. First, they don't want to really think about what might have happened that could have been worse. Then you wonder if it's a situation of he can joke about it, but others can't.

Hehe... I just loved this whole snow tubing thing! My friend in high school convinced me she could pull me in a tube behind an ATV and it would be fun. She promptly ran me into a tree (It's a wonder I survived my teenage years, she was always pulling me to do crazy things), so I feel ya, Leo!

Also, I have no idea why I have so many stories this time other than I can totally relate to a lot of this... mostly Leo.

I feel like we're seeing Elvie heal mentally a little bit from this trip. He may not wanted to go at first, but we're seeing signs that his anger is abating. He ignored Leo and Josie for a plane ride, but now he's apologising after blowing up really recently. I love that we're seeing it happen and I'm so happy he ended up having fun!

This is something I'm always so conflicted about. Some vets say they don't mind it, other really think it's lip service. When I was in Puerto Rico with my disaster team, I had several people say it to me and I was really uncomfortable. I mean, it was for several reasons (I was just doing my normal job, just in a abnormal situation. I don't have to commit much of my life to do it, and I'm never in a dangerous situation.) but it made me realize how awkward that exchange can be. But coming from Marc here, it's genuine and I like how Elvie responds.

This whole outhouse scene totally didn't disappoint! I LOVE it! Awkward and hilarious! And talk about a bonding moment you'll never forget and probably be telling stories of for years to come!

This was fantastic, how happy and friendly the end was. It could have gone the complete other direction, but they all made it work. Elvie seems a bit lighter and happier.
And the idea of Helen sharing baby Leo stories with Marc!!

I adore this story! It was so much fun and established a relationship between Marc and Elvie that is amazing!

 

I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Yaaaay for brewing plots!

Yeah I understand what you mean.

I actually have to do the whole Bartlet Jacket Flip - I always have and I used to get teased about it in school, but now I do it with full Martin Sheen enthusiasm.

Yeah, I just love his sass. Part of me thinks maybe he is dealing with it too well, but the next vignette makes it clear that no, he's not dealing with everything too well, he's just covering up like Josh did.

Yeah, I can totally see that being so very awkward for both parties (I'm glad you were able to bribe someone else to do it). With strangers it is sometimes like "well at least I never have to see this person again". Of course that won't be the case for Elvie and Marc (and I think they both know this), but the lack of emotional attachment does make it a bit more understandable why Elvie is a bit more comfortable with Marc as opposed to Leo or Josie helping him.

Leo might be taking the place of my sister in that story (and she might have been 26 when it happened), but it is very Leo.

I too love the idea of retired-dad!matt being forced to sleep in a tent in his yard.

Yeah, I've cracked some jokes at my own expense which might have made my friends uncomfortable. Of course, Josie and Leo are still getting used to the new situation too and don't want to think about what come have happened or if they are being insensitive.

Bahahaha! I HAVE THE EXACT SAME STORY. It was on a tree farm and we should have seen it coming.

I love writing these guys, particularly at this age, because even though their parents and futures are extraordinary, they're so darn relatable.

Yeah, I really enjoyed writing this arc and this character developed. He isn't totally okay but he's getting better.

Yeah, I can see both sides. I think for Elvie it probably (usually) makes him uncomfortable (especially given who his dad was, he probably hears it a lot from "important" people who don't really know him). He sees what happened as an accident - he was just doing his job and not doing anything particularly of service to the protection of anyone in that moment; it was just an accident. But from Marc, it's genuine.

Thanks. I was going for awkward and hilarious and kinda sweet. I hope the story will come up again in the future

Thank you. I had no idea where the Marc and Elvie relationship was going (originally the focus was going to be on Elvie, Leo and Josie) but I'm really happy with how it turned out and that I got to use my outhouse bunny!

 

Title: Pure Spirit
Timeframe: Spring 2034; 2051
Characters: Elvie and Josh, with a bit of Leo, Marc and Rose
A/N: “How body from spirit does slowly unwind until we are pure spirit at the end.”

Spring 2051

Never before had Governor Leo-Vincente Santos wanted the ability stand on his own so badly. He wanted to stand just so that the fact that he remained sitting as President Clovis Peterson entered the Mural Room would be a statement, rather than simply reality. Elvie would never stand for this man, even if he could stand.


“Governor Santos! I am so glad you could take time to see me today. I heard you were in DC.” The president shook Elvie’s hand and remained towering over him, despite there being a plethora of seats right beside Elvie.


If the president had wanted to speak to Elvie, he could have just picked up a phone. Instead, Elvie had to take a two hour detour from his personal visit to DC - which Rose and he had paid for by themselves - just for this stupid face-to-face with the President. It was always nice to be in - what he considered to be - his first home it brought up so many memories, particularly of loved ones now passed away. But Elvie had better things to do on this short trip.


“My pleasure, Sir.” Not really. “My wife and I are here for a day for Senator Lyman’s baby shower,” Elvie said with a smile. His oldest friend and his husband had just had a beautiful baby girl and it was a good excuse to see Leo, Marc, and Josie. It felt like these days, baby showers and baptisms were really the only reasons they got to see each other, but it was better than seeing each other for funerals.


“Of course. How is his wife recovering from the birth?”


Oh. Dear. Lord. How was this former pro tempore of senate elected vice president, and then president?


“Leo’s husband is fine.”


Somehow, under his jowls, Peterson’s jaw tightened. “The reason why I asked you here, Vincent -” Wait, what, who was Vincent? “- is that I need you to come out for VA cuts.”


This has stopped being funny.


“Excuse me?”


“Specifically the food-stamp program. It is bad politics for us to be so open about the fact that not all families can make it on a military retirement.”


Elvie went from outrage to wondering if this guy knew he was talking to a Democrat, to wondering if he knew whom he was talking to. Now Elvie knew why the President wanted to speak in person - he knew Elvie would have hung up on him.


“I don’t think I can do that.”


“If you come out for these cuts, it would give the proposition bi-partisan momentum and show how frivolous VA spending is. You didn’t need the VA to make something out of your life after your military career.”


Ah. Boy. His godfather was rolling in his grave and now Jed Bartlet was coming out swinging.


“Don’t tell me what I needed. I have been through hell and back. I have stared demons and death in the eye. The only way I made it through was with care from Houston’s VAMC and support from a man much greater than you who walked these halls with a lesser title. He might not have been President, but he was so much better than you will ever be. You bore me. Now I need to get to my friend’s baby shower.”


With that, Elvie left.


* * *


Spring 2034

The room looked like a cross between a hospital room and a dorm room, which somehow made it more depressing. The bed looked like like a standard hospital bed, but it was neatly made with a homemade quilt lying on top. There was a simple table with Bar Exam study materials on top, neatly organized. A military person lived here.


Joshua Lyman let out a small sigh at the scene. This somehow was a metaphor of Elvie’s life: stuck in limbo, with so many elements of his past so evident and just some hazy idea of what tomorrow may bring.


At least the kid got a private room with a private bathroom. Josh heard the shower turn off and wondered if he should announce himself. Probably. “Elvie?”


“Hello? Josh?” came a voice behind the closed door.


“Yeah, sorry, I know I’m here like an hour early. I got bumped off my flight, but the flight they put me on had a shorter layover. Airlines, you know what I mean?”


“You mean civilian airlines?”


Josh chuckled. “Yeah. They will never be organized. I miss the days of Air Force One, though then I was on your father’s schedule and he was always late - though not as bad as Sam. I can come back if you want.”


“No, no, it’s fine. But I left my clothes on the bed. Unless you want to see me get dressed, you mind handing me them?” The bathroom door opened a crack and a hand stuck out.


“You know,” Josh said, getting the pile of folded clothes on the bed. “When you were a baby, your father gave me lessons on how to be a father. I’ve changed your diaper. I’ve dressed you. You had a diaper blow out and your father made me clean you up.”


The bathroom door opened and Elvie sat there, only a white towel in his lap. His wet hair clung to his forehead, ears, and neck. He was growing a goatee, making him look older and even more like his father. Josh could see surgical scars and how much lower his right shoulder was, how skinny his legs were getting, now 8 months after his accident. “Well, are you offering to dress me now?”


“No!” Josh said, laughing, as he shoved the pile of clothes at Elvie.


Josh sat at the small table while he waited. He flipped through the textbooks and made himself feel so old. He had written the Bar exam almost a half century ago.


“Hey,” Elvie said, rolling out of the bathroom a few minutes later, now fully dressed in loose grey lounge pants and a black shirt. “How was the fight?”


“Fine.” Josh shrugged. “I saw a steak house across the road when I was parking. Wanna cut across the lawn and grab a early dinner?”


“Oh Lord, yes.” Elvie grabbed a hoodie. “This place has me on a horrible high-fibre diet. Kale is not really food.”


Josh laughed. “Donna has me on a low-everything diet. Kale isn’t food.”


* * *

If they were going to do this, Josh figured he could at least buy Elvie a steak first. Josh had ordered the fish. The restaurant was quiet and their food came quickly and they ate in relative silence. They then ordered two teas to go and went back to the VAMC and sat in the courtyard.


“Leo told me all about the Colorado trip,” Josh said, sitting on a bench with his tea, enjoying the Texas early evening warmth, even in March. “He and Marc had so much fun.”


Elvie sipped his tea. “I like Marc. I think he’s good for Leo.”


Josh nodded. “He is. Did you have fun on the trip?”


“I did. It was a nice distraction.”


“You’re allowed to have fun. I know it’s sometimes hard to feel… connected to people.”


Elvie nodded, biting his lower lip. “I always feel….” He struggled for the right words.


“Empty? Estranged? Yet feel like the most random little thing will make you break down and feel everything and waiting for it makes you angry because you know it’s coming and you can’t stop it.”


Elvie nodded. “How….”


“You know I was shot, right?”


Elvie seemed to recall something to that effect. “That was before my dad was President, right?”


“Second year of the Bartlet administration. I was diagnosed with PTSD a few months later. Have you been formally diagnosed?”


“Yeah. I’m in therapy with a specialist twice a week and I think it’s helping. She’s already reduced the antidepressants I’m on and the nightmares don’t happen as often, only when I’m upset.”


Josh was open because he knew Elvie needed to hear this. “Music was what gave me flashbacks. I still can’t enjoy cello music. Not that I would anyways.”


“Helicopters. Strong wind. I know other people get panic attacks but it’s like I’m back there. Back in the helicopter - it’s not the crash, or being pulled out of the wreckage, it’s being in the helicopter, taking off, strapped to a stretcher.” Elvie’s breathing got tight and he began to shake. Josh rubbed his back. “I can’t move anything, not even my head and I can barely breathe.” Elvie was on the verge of tears. “Everything is just happening at once and I have no control over anything. My idiot friend, Lieutenant Dayton, isn’t listening to me. I wanted him to tell my parents I loved them because I didn’t think I’d see them again.” Elvie closed his eyes, took in a few meditative breaths as he began to gently rock and quietly recited a psalm in Spanish, then in French. He brushed away a tear that had escaped.


Josh let Elvie recover for a moment. “Do you try to remember that you did see your mom and dad again?”


“I try to remind myself. I also try to remember you and Donna were there, and remembering that helps a lot,” he sighed.


Josh smiled. “I’m thankful we were able to be there for you, and that I can be here for you now.”


“I’m not sure I would have made it if I had been alone.” Elvie looked down at his tea. “Does it get better?”


“I can listen to music and sirens no longer make me shake. The nightmares slowly went away and I can be in hospitals without wanting to throw up. I still get the odd panic attack, though those are so rare now and it’s only when I’m worried or stressed about one of the kids. Gunshots are the only things that give me flashbacks, but they aren’t vivid at all anymore, mostly just feelings of fear. It does get better, but talking with people - therapists, people who understood what I was going through, and friends - I think is what really made the difference.”


“Mom and Dad just have all the faith in doctors and God that one day I’ll be totally normal again. Like one day I’ll be able to walk again and stuff and not have panic attacks when I hear wind. I don’t know if that’s what I want. I mean, it would be really nice. Hell, it would be nice just to not need a diaper at night. It really kills my feeling of manhood.” He sighed “But I just want to feel good again. I just want to have fun, go out with my friends and not worry about totally snapping on them, breaking down crying or yelling at them. It weighs on me. I want to know I have a future. I want to believe in God again. I want to feel love again. I want to not feel like I want to die. I’m not suicidal because I’m in a wheelchair, but there are days when I wonder if everything would be okay if I just didn’t wake up one morning. Like, I know my family and friends would be sad, but would I be sad? I just want to feel good again. I don’t feel anything but bad.”


“Your namesake, Leo McGarry, told me something that just made all the difference. This guy is walking down a street, when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep. He can't get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up ‘Hey you! Can you help me out?’ The doctor writes him a prescription, throws it down the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up ’Father, I'm down in this hole, can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. ‘Hey Joe, it's me, can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole! Our guy says ‘Are you stupid? Now we're both down here!’ and the friend says, ‘Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out.’”


Elvie chuckled.


“I’m getting you out of this hole,” Josh promised. He then leaned back on the bench. “Sam wants him, Matt and I to rent a sailboat take all your ’squad’ out on the ocean for a week this summer.”


Elvie laughed. “Leo on a boat? Sign me up.”


“Figured you’d say that.”


* * *

2051

“Oh, and on top of everything,” Elvie exclaimed as he sat on the Lyman’s couch. “He asked how your wife was recovering from the birth!”


Leo erupted into laughter. Miri’s baby-shower has ended, most of the guests had left, but the Santoses were killing time before their late night flight back to Austin. “Oh my god. Please say you messed with his head. I love messing with Peterson when he forgets I’m married to Marc.” Leo looked over at his husband with a grin. Marc just rolled his eyes as he continued to rock the two-week-old Miri. She was calm, but wide awake. Donna was putting JJ to bed.


“No, he got right to calling me Vincent - who the hell has ever called me just Vincent - and the VA stuff.” Elvie swirled the ice in his glass. “If he tries to cut VA spending, you know you have to make some noise.”


“Of course,” Leo nodded.


“Someone decent has to run against the guy next election,” Elvie grumbled.


“I thought we agreed no business talk tonight,” Rosamie said, entering the living room and swatting Elvie with a damp dish towel.


“And I thought I told you not to clean up,” Marc said, getting up and handing Miri to Leo.


“I’d like to see you try to stop me,” Rose said, clearing up more plates and heading into the kitchen. Marc followed her.


“You guys need to come visit more,” Leo said, shifting Miri in his arms. “I’ve missed you.”


“Yeah, I’ll take time off of work when you do.”


“Yeah about that, I’ve been considering running for a different job, maybe - one day in the future.”


“Are you guys still talking about work?” Marc scowled as he re-entered the livingroom to pick up more dishes.


“Nope,” Elvie said, sitting up straight and taking Miri from Leo. Elvie nestled her in the crook of his arm, making sure she stayed bundled up in her blankets. “I was about to cuddle with this cutie and have the best conversation I’ve had all day. I’m going to tell her all about all the trouble I used to get her Abba into.”


Elvie took a moment to think about Miri’s grandfather and Elvie smiled softly to himself. Josh would have loved his grandchildren and it was a shame he could never hold them, but Josh was the reason why Elvie was holding her now, and the reason why Elvie had 3 small kids of his own back in Austin.


Elvie could feel Josh here now. His body had unwound but he was here, in pure spirit.

 

I'm way too tired to formulate a decent response, so I'll come do that tomorrow. But I just couldn't wait to say this was so wonderful, fun, and moving. I started tearing up at the holes story and then at the end I was totally crying.

So it's a little later than I intended. Having a puppy that needs to go out for a walk multiple times a day is really throwing off my schedule.

YEESSSS!!!

I adore that it went there. I would have been super happy and excited for it to focus on those three, but Marc really worked in this situation.

Woah... now that is making a statement. I love that this is a reason he wished he could stand, that really tells me a lot about his feelings for Peterson right off the bat.

Wow. Peterson really is an idiot, but I loved how Elvie handled it. He didn't let it go (of course he wouldn't!) but he still was respectful to the office.

Oh man... just imagining the look on Elvie's face thought this whole thing!
And asking Elvie, ELVIE to come out for a cut to the VA? He really is dumb.
I loved Elvie's passionate response and how after giving his reasons, he just leaves. He isn't going to waste his time with the likes of that guy.

Oh Josh, how did you not know that would backfire. But of course, I feel like most adults that have known kids when they were a baby say that not really thinking it through. Elvie had the best response, just play into it and see what happens!

Haha... I agree, I'm not a big fan of kale. I really liked the detail of how Josh was buying Elvie a steak, but he still ordered fish. He really is trying to do his best to stay healthy and this was a great way to show that.

This whole thing was hard not to quote the entire section. Josh was so forthcoming with something he probably still doesn't like to talk about, but he'd do it for Elvie because he's a part of his family. And if Josh can help him by sharing, he's going to do it. I also really like that Elvie was getting help right away.

The way you wrote this was so powerful. I could feel his panic starting to rise, how just talking about it was making it happen again, but then he started to cope, showing that treatment was helping. Josh will help even more.

HE TOLD HIM THE HOLES STORY!!!
I'm pretty sure I've said it before but this is probably my favorite single scene in all of TWW, so I love that Josh takes it and passes it on to Elvie. It would have been impactful no matter what, but that Elvie is named after Leo McGarry makes it that much more so.

BAHAHAHAH... oh man. I need this in my life!

This was a great way to slide the idea in a subtle way. We know what he means, but he's still in the thinking stage and wants to put the thought into Elvie's mind.

And this last part of the scene is where I start sobbing. It's so beautiful and sad, but uplifting at the same time. Basically:

Having the future set the stage for the past was a great way to do this. I know I would have loved it if it was just the Josh and Elvie part, but to bring it around to when Miri is born and Elvie can feel Josh there really just made it hit home that much harder.

 

Thank you. I'm so happy you found it moving.

And I totally understand fur babies being babies.

Is it a statement? Or is it just Elvie being Elvie? He knows he can never stand on his own, so he's allowed to fantasize without ever actually having to do what he thinks. But it does tell a lot about Elvie's feelings towards Peterson.

Kinda like Bartlet V Ritchie in season 4, everyone watching even as it aired originally probably had a fair guess that Bartlet was going to win as the election happened in the middle of the season. And, of course, we know Leo and Elvie beat this guy, so there's not much suspense in giving Peterson an actual shot (like they didn't give Richie a shot), so I made Peterson entertaining by making him an idiot. Does that make sense?

Elvie is just so fun but hard to write because he obviously hasn't gotten to where he is by being blunt all the time, but he does like to speak the truth and sometimes he can't hold it in

Peterson is just sooo stupid and Elvie, as Governor, is just not putting up with it. Thanks.

Thanks. I just love this interaction between Josh and Elvie. Josh is just not thinking how awkward the "I've changed your diaper" line is (it is ALWAYS AWKWARD) and Elvie just sassing him.

No one is a fan of kale. I think Josh changed a lot after becoming a dad and that's the reason he could conceivably live to 77. That, and he's probably afraid of Donna finding out he cheated on his diet.

Thanks. I was worried about Josh being OOC by being so forthcoming, but I think he knows Elvie is going to benefit from hearing it.

And yeah, I made Elvie get help right away because I hope - and I really think - mental health won't be a taboo at all.

Thanks. I'm kinda regretting not doing this from Elvie's POV because I think it would be cathartic for me after some recent events, but thank you.

HE TOLD HIM THE HOLES STORY!

As soon as this idea popped into my head, I was like "JOSH IS GOING TO TELL LEO'S HOLE STORY TO A LEO!!!"

I do too! but I have no idea how or what to write other than the dads complaining about girlfriends/boyfriends being brought along

Yeah, I could have him come out and explicit say it, but I wanted to hit at both Leo thinking about it and Elvie knowing that first vignette is coming

Thank you. I enjoy blending hard and good emotions so I'm sorry I made you cry, except not really. I loved the "pure spirit" quote in the AN when Bartlet used it in season 6 and I just thought it was so fitting for Josh here after his death.

And I have another emotional "Grandpa Josh" story written, but, I think some Elvie/Rose romance is needed.

 

Title: Elvie Meets Rose
Timeframe: Spring 2055; Spring 2034
Characters: Elvie and Rose
AN: I know I’ve been on a bit of an Elvie streak, but it’s what the muse wanted, so I wrote it. But I do have some Leo/Marc stuff in progress and some Josh/Donna rattling around in the brain. The set up for this fic was inspired my Mav’s First Dates and Ugly Sweaters.

March 2055

“This is stupid,” Rose said as she put in her other pearl earring. Her entire outfit - a long flowing black skirt and dark red sweater - was classy, yet fairly informal, and picked out meticulously by White House press staff.


Elvie finished buttoning his navy blue vest. He felt comfortable in a 3 piece suit, but his press staff felt the full suit would be too formal, so he had been told to forgo the jacket and roll up his shirt sleeves to his elbows for a more casual look. He wasn’t complaining. It was far better than the sweater Leo had been made to wear. “You said it was ‘cute’ when Leo and Marc were made to do this last month.”


“Yeah, but that had a point. This,” she gestured to her make up, “has no point.”



A month ago, the President and First Gentleman had been made to do a more personal, sit down interview to allow the public to get to know the personal life of their President, and people had loved it. So the White House had wanted the Vice President and Second Lady to do something similar - a ‘web exclusive’ interview (translation: no body but nerds would see this) - to boost the VP’s approval ratings (who the hell cared about the VP? Answer: - unless Leo keeled over - nobody).


“People constantly say that about my job,” Elvie deadpanned. “We could have some fun. They are going to ask us how we met. We could say I was considering being a priest before I met you,” he said, leaning forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into his lap.


Rose laughed out loud. “That line worked for your godfather. It doesn’t work for you.” She leaned back into him. “We could say I wanted to be a nun.”


It was now Elvie’s turn to burst out laughing. “Yeah, okay. I know what you carry around in your purse.” He was, of course, referring to the intimacy toys she kept in her purse during the campaign for any adult rendezvous.


“You love it though.”


“I do,” he admitted with a nod as he helped her stand. “I love you.”


She leaned down to kiss him. “Love you too.” There was a pause. “No nicknames when we tell the story of how we met.”


Elvie nodded, serious. “Definitely. No nicknames. In fact, we keep details to a minimum.”


* * *


A few minutes later, they sat together on a couch in one of the formal living rooms of Number One Observatory Circle, in front of lights and cameras. They answered simple questions about the move to DC, Rose’s work as a immigration lawyer and her new law firm she worked at, the renovations (designed by Marc Lyman) they had done to the residence of the Vice President, and then it was time for the question.


“Mister Vice President, Mrs. Santos,” the interviewer said, “Ever since the personal sit down interview with the President and hearing the story of how he met the First Gentleman, people have wondered, how did you two meet?”


Elvie laughed and slipped his hand into Rose’s. “Actually, it was similar to how the President and Mr. Lyman met. Rose and I met in a library - my late father’s library actually.”


Rose leaned into Elvie, making it look intimate move - in reality she was sliding her elbow into his ribs, hitting a spot she knew to be particularly painful. “We were both studying for the Bar Exam.” She was forcing him to skip over the fact that she had no idea it was his father’s library until they had been dating about three months.


“I was 24 - a few months from turning 25. It was late April so Rose had turned 24. I was still in physical rehab for my accident, but liked getting out for a few hours a week, so I often had my parents or brother take me to the library so I could study in quiet. I saw Rose there a number times over a few weeks before she worked up the nerve to talk to me.”


“You kept winking at me.”


“You kept staring at me.” Both of their tones were light teasing.


“I was staring off into space. You were just in my way.”


“Yeah, sure,” he said sarcastically. “Finally she walked up to me and we started to talk.”


* * *


2034


“I have to use the bathroom.”


The voice broke Elvie’s concentration, and to think he asked his dad to drop him off at his library for the quiet. Actually, he got various family members to drive him here a few afternoons a week so he could get out into public. According to Josh, Elvie cooping himself up in the VAMC wasn’t helping his mental heath and Josh’s advice proved to be right. Just having a change of scenery that wasn’t a medical centre was doing wonders for his PTSD.


“Huh?” Elvie looked up to see the girl. The girl - actually she was a woman his age - was here every weekday that he was here. She’d arrive about a half hour after him, stay about 2 hours, then leave about a half hour before him. Elvie knew because he would always sit on the far end of the large study area and she would pick a random table in the middle. Elvie noticed because she was hot. She was always wearing a white buttoned shirt (probably a work uniform) and had her straight black hair falling out of a ponytail or bun. Occasionally he’d look up to look at her and sometimes she was staring back at him. He was used to people staring at him, first as the President’s kid, and now that he was in a wheelchair. Normally it upset him, but for some reason, it didn’t when she did it. So he would wink - for no particular reason - she’d blush and go back to work.


“I have to go to the bathroom,” she repeated in a low voice as not to disturb anyone else. It was now that he noticed her arms were full of her textbooks and notepads. “You’re going to be here awhile; watch my stuff. Please?” she added, putting her things down on the table across from him.


“Oh, yeah, sure,” he said, going back to reading.


A few minutes later, she returned. “Thanks.”


Before she sat down, Elvie pointed the back of his pen at her pile. “Your phone beeped.”


She scowled. “What is that, some new creepy pick up line to get my number?” She looked at her phone and she groaned. “Oh, sorry. Crap,” she murmured under her breath. She began to pick her things up and stuff them into her backpack.


“Everything okay?”


“Ah, yeah, sorry. Family… work… emergency. I have to run. Thanks for looking after my stuff.” With that she was gone.


* * *


Two Days Later.


“Hey.”


Elvie looked up to see the girl standing on the other side of the table. He had been here in the library for a half hour so she arrived just as expected. She had her purple backpack swung over her shoulder. She set it on the table.


“Hey, Bathroom-break-woman,” Elvie replied.


“Yeah, I guess I kinda deserve that after accusing you of a being a creep. Sorry about that,” she said, slinking into the chair. “Mind if I sit here?”


“Not at all,” Elvie shrugged. “Is everything alright? You left the other day rather frazzled.”


She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah… a water pipe burst in the family restaurant, where I also work, so I got called in early to help deal with the fiasco. Like the worst day of my life.”


Elvie winced. “Ah, sorry.”


“Dad’s pretty stressed, but everything is fixed now,” she said, pulling her stuff out of her bag.


Elvie recognized the textbook - it was the same one currently open in front of him. “You studying for the Bar too?”


She nodded, then furrowed her brow. “I just graduated Huston in December. You weren’t there, were you?”


“Ah, no, I graduated from Columbia nearly 2 years ago now.”


“Wow,” she exclaimed. “Columbia. You’re a long way from New York.”


“I grew up in Houston, mostly. I had to move back to be closer to my family.” He left it at that, then went back to studying.


They studied in silence for a long while. She then got up. “Ah, sorry, I had a ton of coffee. I had to be at the restaurant till all hours last night helping clean up and restock. Mind watching my stuff while-”


“Go, bathroom-break-woman.”


She rolled her eyes and left.


“I’m Rosamie dela Cruz, by the way,” she said on her return. “Mr. Iron-bladder.”


Elvie subconsciously felt the drainage bag on his leg. His eyes then flickered behind her where a huge family portrait - of his family - hung. Sure he had been five when it had been taken - he was grinning in the picture because his dad had kissed his nose just the photo was taken - but he still had the same last name; the same name the building they were in bore. “Elvie. Elvie… Santos.”


She wrinkled her nose. “What kind of name is Elvie?”


“What kind of name is Rosamie?”


“It’s Filipino. People call me Rose.”


“I’m named after a late friend of my father and godfather.”


“I don’t feel like studying anymore,” she sighed. “My brain is just everywhere.”


Elvie could tell. “Understandable.”


“Wanna go grab a coffee? There’s a place around the corner. I can’t concentrate and I’m going to need more before my shift this evening.”


Coffee gave him unwanted side effects, but he enjoyed talking to Rose, and it was going to be a bit before his parents finished their grocery shopping and picked him up. “I don’t drink coffee, but sure,” he began packing his books and tablet up into his messenger bag.


She was packing her stuff up as well. “You don’t take bathroom breaks; you don’t drink coffee; you went to Columbia. What kind of robotic freak are you?”


Not realizing she hadn’t noticed, Elvie reached down, released the breaks on his wheelchair and pushed back from the table. “Well, I do have four plates, 7 rods, and like 15 pins in various places.”


“What?” She then looked up. “Oh,” Rose exclaimed, attracting the glares of nearby patrons. “I… I didn’t mean you are a robot. Or a freak. Oh Lord, I called you a creep,” she said, closing her eyes. “I have such a big mouth.”


It then hit him, he had been sitting behind the table for all of their interactions. She hadn’t seen the wheelchair. Which he saw as a plus. He had landed a coffee-hang-out and he knew it wasn’t out of pity. “Hey,” he said gently. He lightly touched the back of her hand with the tip of his middle finger. “You still want a coffee? It’s on me.”


She nodded, face bright red, and followed him to the elevator.


“What kind of restaurant does your family own?” Elvie asked, breaking the silence once they were out of the library and could talk without disturbing anyone. They walked down the sidewalk in the Spring air.


“Italian,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s kinda a weird story. Both my parents were born in the Philippines.”


“And you were born here?”


She nodded. “Lived in Houston my entire life. You?”


“Born here, technically, grew up in DC for a few years, but then my family moved back when I was five.” It was odd talking about his life story not in the context of being President Matt Santos’ son.


“DC?” she asked.


“Dad worked in government.” Well if that wasn’t the truth “from a certain point of view”, he didn’t know what was. Josie was going laugh when she heard this.


“Is that what you want to do with your law degree?”


He nodded. His plans had changed so drastically since Law School. Originally he had planned on - eventually - working with war crime cases. “I think so. I really enjoy constitutional law. More local stuff though. But I also have my undergrad minor in Foreign Language, so I’m not ruling out international law. How about you?”


“Immigration law.”


“Plenty of work here for that,” he nodded as they reached the cafe. She ordered an iced coffee, he ordered a tea and paid. She carried both drinks outside to where they sat at a table. They talked for awhile, mostly about law and a bit about themselves. Never once did the Air Force, plane crashes, or President Matt Santos come up.


Rose looked at the time and sighed. “I have to get to work, but,” she said, reaching into her backpack for a piece of paper and a pen. She wrote down her number and gave it to Elvie. “Text me sometime. Maybe we can be study buddies or just give each other an excuse to take a mental break.”


Elvie smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that. Maybe we can have dinner sometime?” he asked, testing the waters.


She smiled back. “Yeah, I’d like that too.” She got up. “Talk to you later, Elvie.”


“See you soon, Rose.”

 

I am so terrible recently. Please don't take my not commenting for a few a bit as a commentary on anything, I LOVE these and I'm so happy to read them! This was no exception, I loved getting to see how Rose and Elvie met!

Hahah... this is that kind of thing that is fine when someone else has to do it, but when you have to, it's not as much fun. I can see her point, but I think people would be interested. I certainly was!

People love you Elvie, they want to know you!

I loved this detail that shows their intimacy and the love they have for each other. I wouldn't mind seeing one of the campaign rendezvous.

This is the best, that that was the first thing she ever said to him! And then that she accuses him of being a creep! It's such a great story of how they met! It's one you certainly wouldn't forget!

Dawww... the portrait sounds so cute! And that it's hanging right where she could see it, through him being little in the portrait does give her an out. It just makes it so funny that there are all these hints, he's from Houston, lived in DC, his name is Elvie Santos, they are in the Santos Library. I mean, I probably wouldn't make the connection either because I'm dense, but it amuses me so.

I'm getting second hand embarrassment from her putting her foot in her mouth again (because it's totally something I'd do), but his response is perfect!

I just loved this!! They really are relationship goals, right from the very beginning!

 

I totally understand. Life gets in the way. I do sometimes worry I might be annoying with these weekly-ish updates but I can't help it! These guys have have just given me a creative outlet I've haven't had in a while and I just love writing them so much and I am so glad I have a collaborator/reader.

Yeah, it's all fun until you actually have to do it yourself. I really enjoyed your flashback set up for Leo/Marc so I had to do it for these guys too.

Don't stroke his ego! (And I just realized I just referenced something you haven't seen yet)

This is another reference to something you haven't seen yet, but will soon But I didn't have that close to being finished so I edited that line so it would work without having read the other thing first. I'm glad it still worked showing their more intimate side.

This is actually based off a true story, so I hope it wasn't too unbelievable! During my undergrad, my friends and I found this study lounge that was super nice and super out of the way, so it was quiet, but it wasn't in the library or near any classrooms so we could have conversations without worrying about disturbing anyone. Unfortunately, because it was so out of the way, there were no washrooms nearby. So people who studied in there would always ask other people "Are you going to be here long? I have to use the washroom; watch my stuff." Anyways, I was up there one day by myself during exams and someone just came up to me, said "I have to pee" and left her stuff beside me. She came back and was super embarrassed. She was really tired ands had seen me a ton over the semester. We are friends now so it's all good. Anyways, sorry for the long, pointless story, but I just figured it fit Elvie and Rose.

Little Elvie with his daddy and family always warms my heart. And yeah, I don't think I'd make the connection either, because it is just the last thing you would think of: a kid hanging out in his dad's library.

Yeah, I totally got 2nd hand embarrassment writing it. She is just so forthcoming with her thoughts, but I like that about her. She's a good match for blunt Elvie.

Thank you. They, and Leo/Marc, are total relationship goals.