No Place That Far
by: Rhiannon and AJ
Margaret hung up the phone and looked at the three children sitting nearby,
"I have a feeling that the President and your mother will be here as soon as
they can get Air Force One off the ground."
"Oh no..." Ariel breathed.
Jason banged his head down on the table he was sitting at, "Can I write my
will now?"
Brennan sank down in his chair, "I think I'm going to be sick."
Mrs. Landingham looked over at them from her desk, "I think you're going to
murdered when the President and Mrs. Bartlet walked into this White House."
The elderly secretary rose from her seat, "Come on, you're all going to bed."
"But it's only seven o'clock!" Brennan exclaimed.
Mrs. Landingham nodded, "Yes, and you're going to bed. You're going to need
all your strength when you face the President and, especially, your mother.
Let's go."
Margaret watched them as they filed out. She shook her head and, grabbing her
purse, walked out another door.
~~
Margaret walked through the empty cell block to where her boss sat. She
looked at him for a moment. He was staring out into space, his face set in a
stony expression.
She waited until the guard let her in the cell before saying anything.
'He looks pissed,' She thought to herself. Taking a breath she called out,
"Leo?"
"What?" he hissed.
Fumbling for something to say, she uttered the first thing that came to mind,
"What are you doing?"
Leo shifted his gaze to her, "What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Contemplating whether or not you're going to kill the Erlich kids ... or let
the President and Mrs. Bartlet do it..."
"Ohh... I've already decided on that." Leo assured her.
"And?"
"And I'm going to kill them if I ever get out of here."
"Well..."
"What?"
"I called them-"
"And?"
"I'm pretty sure that Air Force One will be in the air first thing in the
morning." Margaret looked at him for a moment. She shifted her weight to one
foot, trying to relieve the pain in her feet. "Mrs. Landingham is watching
them right now."
"Good for her."
"She put them all to bed as I was leaving..." She offered, trying to lift his
spirits.
"Were they alive?"
"Yes."
"Damn."
Margaret shifted her weight to her other foot, "Well... I'm pretty sure that
Mrs. Landingham is giving them all a lecture as we speak."
"Good," Leo growled.
"Yeah," Margaret added, shifting her weight back to the other foot.
Leo noticed this time, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"You keep leaning back and forth," Leo expounded. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie to me," Leo looked at her, his eyebrow raised.
"My feet hurt," Margaret muttered.
"Huh?"
"My feet hurt," she repeated.
Leo rolled his eyes, "Then sit down."
"Where?"
"Here," Leo moved, making room for her on the bed where he was sitting.
"There?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Cause I'm just-"
"Margaret, sit down before I change my mind and make you sit on the ground!"
Leo exclaimed.
Margaret sat down immediately, "Thank you."
"Thank you." Leo shook his head. He rubbed his hands over his face, suddenly
tired.
Margaret looked over at him, "When do you get out of here?"
"When Josh gets everything straightened out," Leo sighed. He glanced over at
her, "When do you have to leave?"
Margaret studied the ground in front of her, "When Josh straightens
everything out."
TBC...