FF: The Reluctant President (6/?)
Title: The Reluctant President (6/?)
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG?
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day one of the Lyman administration.
General Note: In this world, things went AU in season six when Donna quit.
As soon as Sam got himself settled on the plane, he called Will.
"Sam? Thank God. I was getting worried."
"You were GETTING worried?"
"Well, no, I was already worried, of course. I was getting more worried."
"Sorry. Things have been crazy. This is the first second I had to call."
"No, no, it's fine. I just wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing," Will confessed.
"Well, I'm about to give you a ridiculously long list of things you're supposed to be doing," Sam said.
"Good."
"Will, it looks like - I don't know, like there might be some bigger conspiracy going on here. For now, it seems like the Secret Service is assuming that President Lyman is at risk. We're restricting access as much as we possibly can."
"Oh, God."
"Ron Butterfield thinks they have someone on the inside, so honestly, I'm not trusting much of the staff right now. It's pretty much just us."
"Well, um, thank you?" Will offered. "For your trust, I mean. President Lyman. Wow. That sounds crazy."
"I know." Sam was silent for a moment. "So can I convince you to take a position in the Lyman administration?"
"Uh, sure. Yes. Of course."
"I want to make you Acting Communications Director. Right now. And we're planning to make that permanent."
"Wow. Really? I mean, I figured you'd be trying to get CJ or Toby to come back."
"We are. But I want you for that job."
"Thank you. I accept."
"Good. The President named me Chief of Staff, and I hired Danny Concannon. He'll probably end up working for you - Media Consultant or something. For tonight, he's staffing the President until they get back to Washington."
"Why?" Will sounded confused. "Where are you?"
"I'm on a plane to Wisconsin."
"Wisconsin?"
Sam was absurdly relieved to discover that his mission wasn't completely obvious to everyone after all. "I'm looking for Donna."
"Oh. Huh. Well, if anyone can keep him sane . . ."
"Yeah."
"Have they been talking?"
"No. Not since she left."
"Will she want to see him?"
"I honestly have no idea."
"You couldn't, I don't know, call first?"
"I'm not sure exactly where she is," Sam explained. "And anyway, I figured it would make it harder for her to say no if I showed up on her parents' doorstep with five Secret Service agents."
Will chuckled. "Well, good luck with that."
"Thanks."
"So what do you need me to do?"
"Would you go over to the Naval Observatory and supervise while the staff packs up whatever he'll need for the next twenty-four hours or so? Then tell them to pack the rest of his stuff. They can probably get it all moved tomorrow."
"Sure."
"Pick a few rooms in the Residence for him to use for now. Bedroom, bathroom, study, some kind of living room. Oh, and his mother's on her way, so she'll need a bedroom too. And then go to the Oval and - " Sam's voice broke. "And, I don't know, make it so he can at least work there without feeling like he's in someone else's office. We'll worry about the rest of the offices later."
"Fine. What else?"
"He'll probably be there by the time you finish all that, so just stay close, and keep me informed. Danny has a list of who's allowed to talk to him. Anyone else I want to approve first."
"Got it."
"Oh, and the Secret Service, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that I'm the only person allowed to be in the room with him without an agent. I'm going to try to get you on the list, but I haven't had a chance yet. Don't take it personally."
"I won't," Will said. "But you should try to get his mother on the list, at least. SHE might take it personally."
Sam laughed. "That's a good point."
"Amy's going to be a problem," Will said.
"Yeah, I know. We'll have to deal with her eventually."
"No, I mean she's going to be a problem now. She's in cahoots with the Protocol office, insisting that the White House needs an official hostess."
"God. Really?"
"Well, you know how she is with power . . ."
"Yeah." Sam thought for a minute. "In a way, this is what she always wanted."
"What?"
"I mean, she didn't want anyone to get shot or anything, but she was always trying to get him to run for office. She had some very specific and very ambitious plans for their future."
"And, what, she thought if she could get him to run for Senate, he'd also marry her?" Will asked skeptically.
"I guess."
"Did he ever consider it?"
"Which?"
"Either."
"Not that I know of."
"Okay. Well, I'd better get over to the Naval Observatory."
"Yeah. And Will? One more thing."
"Yeah?"
"Try to get some rest at some point. We have to write the speech of our lives tomorrow."
After he hung up with Will, Sam stared out the window of the plane for a few minutes before placing his next call.
"Stanley? This is Sam Seaborn from the White House."
"Yes, of course. Hello, Mr. Seaborn."
"Listen, I don't know what your schedule is like right now, but I'd like to bring you in for a while to talk to - well, anyone on staff who needs you." Sam figured Stanley would be able to read between the lines.
"How's he doing?"
Sam hesitated. "He - he SEEMS okay, I guess. Kind of in shock. We all are."
"That's normal," Stanley assured him. "But I'll want to keep an eye on him for a while."
"Just to warn you, he might resist. He wasn't wild about the idea of me calling you in the first place."
"I'm glad he came around to the idea. This sort of experience could be a big setback for him if he ignores it."
"So you'll come?" Sam asked.
"Of course." Stanley sounded surprised that there was even a question. "I'm on my way."
"What, already?"
"I was skiing in New Hampshire. As soon as I heard the news, I threw my stuff in the car and started driving. The way you people keep calling, though, it doesn't seem like you have a lot of faith in my reasoning abilities."
"Wait, what?" Sam was baffled. "Who else called you?"
"Donna, of course."
"Oh. Of course."
"Anyway, I should be getting into the city late tonight. Call me tomorrow to tell me when I should come in."
"I will. Thanks, Stanley."
As Sam hung up the phone, he realized he was grinning. Donna had called Stanley. That had to be a good sign.
Author: caitrin
Rating: PG?
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Genre: AU, romance, drama, mystery
Feedback: Much appreciated.
Timeline: Day one of the Lyman administration.
General Note: In this world, things went AU in season six when Donna quit.
As soon as Sam got himself settled on the plane, he called Will.
"Sam? Thank God. I was getting worried."
"You were GETTING worried?"
"Well, no, I was already worried, of course. I was getting more worried."
"Sorry. Things have been crazy. This is the first second I had to call."
"No, no, it's fine. I just wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing," Will confessed.
"Well, I'm about to give you a ridiculously long list of things you're supposed to be doing," Sam said.
"Good."
"Will, it looks like - I don't know, like there might be some bigger conspiracy going on here. For now, it seems like the Secret Service is assuming that President Lyman is at risk. We're restricting access as much as we possibly can."
"Oh, God."
"Ron Butterfield thinks they have someone on the inside, so honestly, I'm not trusting much of the staff right now. It's pretty much just us."
"Well, um, thank you?" Will offered. "For your trust, I mean. President Lyman. Wow. That sounds crazy."
"I know." Sam was silent for a moment. "So can I convince you to take a position in the Lyman administration?"
"Uh, sure. Yes. Of course."
"I want to make you Acting Communications Director. Right now. And we're planning to make that permanent."
"Wow. Really? I mean, I figured you'd be trying to get CJ or Toby to come back."
"We are. But I want you for that job."
"Thank you. I accept."
"Good. The President named me Chief of Staff, and I hired Danny Concannon. He'll probably end up working for you - Media Consultant or something. For tonight, he's staffing the President until they get back to Washington."
"Why?" Will sounded confused. "Where are you?"
"I'm on a plane to Wisconsin."
"Wisconsin?"
Sam was absurdly relieved to discover that his mission wasn't completely obvious to everyone after all. "I'm looking for Donna."
"Oh. Huh. Well, if anyone can keep him sane . . ."
"Yeah."
"Have they been talking?"
"No. Not since she left."
"Will she want to see him?"
"I honestly have no idea."
"You couldn't, I don't know, call first?"
"I'm not sure exactly where she is," Sam explained. "And anyway, I figured it would make it harder for her to say no if I showed up on her parents' doorstep with five Secret Service agents."
Will chuckled. "Well, good luck with that."
"Thanks."
"So what do you need me to do?"
"Would you go over to the Naval Observatory and supervise while the staff packs up whatever he'll need for the next twenty-four hours or so? Then tell them to pack the rest of his stuff. They can probably get it all moved tomorrow."
"Sure."
"Pick a few rooms in the Residence for him to use for now. Bedroom, bathroom, study, some kind of living room. Oh, and his mother's on her way, so she'll need a bedroom too. And then go to the Oval and - " Sam's voice broke. "And, I don't know, make it so he can at least work there without feeling like he's in someone else's office. We'll worry about the rest of the offices later."
"Fine. What else?"
"He'll probably be there by the time you finish all that, so just stay close, and keep me informed. Danny has a list of who's allowed to talk to him. Anyone else I want to approve first."
"Got it."
"Oh, and the Secret Service, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that I'm the only person allowed to be in the room with him without an agent. I'm going to try to get you on the list, but I haven't had a chance yet. Don't take it personally."
"I won't," Will said. "But you should try to get his mother on the list, at least. SHE might take it personally."
Sam laughed. "That's a good point."
"Amy's going to be a problem," Will said.
"Yeah, I know. We'll have to deal with her eventually."
"No, I mean she's going to be a problem now. She's in cahoots with the Protocol office, insisting that the White House needs an official hostess."
"God. Really?"
"Well, you know how she is with power . . ."
"Yeah." Sam thought for a minute. "In a way, this is what she always wanted."
"What?"
"I mean, she didn't want anyone to get shot or anything, but she was always trying to get him to run for office. She had some very specific and very ambitious plans for their future."
"And, what, she thought if she could get him to run for Senate, he'd also marry her?" Will asked skeptically.
"I guess."
"Did he ever consider it?"
"Which?"
"Either."
"Not that I know of."
"Okay. Well, I'd better get over to the Naval Observatory."
"Yeah. And Will? One more thing."
"Yeah?"
"Try to get some rest at some point. We have to write the speech of our lives tomorrow."
After he hung up with Will, Sam stared out the window of the plane for a few minutes before placing his next call.
"Stanley? This is Sam Seaborn from the White House."
"Yes, of course. Hello, Mr. Seaborn."
"Listen, I don't know what your schedule is like right now, but I'd like to bring you in for a while to talk to - well, anyone on staff who needs you." Sam figured Stanley would be able to read between the lines.
"How's he doing?"
Sam hesitated. "He - he SEEMS okay, I guess. Kind of in shock. We all are."
"That's normal," Stanley assured him. "But I'll want to keep an eye on him for a while."
"Just to warn you, he might resist. He wasn't wild about the idea of me calling you in the first place."
"I'm glad he came around to the idea. This sort of experience could be a big setback for him if he ignores it."
"So you'll come?" Sam asked.
"Of course." Stanley sounded surprised that there was even a question. "I'm on my way."
"What, already?"
"I was skiing in New Hampshire. As soon as I heard the news, I threw my stuff in the car and started driving. The way you people keep calling, though, it doesn't seem like you have a lot of faith in my reasoning abilities."
"Wait, what?" Sam was baffled. "Who else called you?"
"Donna, of course."
"Oh. Of course."
"Anyway, I should be getting into the city late tonight. Call me tomorrow to tell me when I should come in."
"I will. Thanks, Stanley."
As Sam hung up the phone, he realized he was grinning. Donna had called Stanley. That had to be a good sign.