DISCLAIMER: I do not own the West Wing, unfortunately. It seems none of us
do. :) It belongs to Aaron Sorkin and the wonderful people he works with.
Probably NBC and some bigtime company.

NOTES: This story has no relation to the season finale whatsoever. I thought
of it before the finale but after I read somewhere that there was gonna be an
assassination attempt IN the finale. So, anyway.

SPOILERS: When someone in the West Wing is shot, the staffers and company
have to examine the event's impact on their lives and how things would change
if their friend doesn't survive.

Something Happened On The Way Ch 1

"I can't believe this." Toby exclaimed as he barged into KD's office,
papers in hand, and slammed the door behind him. KD looked up in shock and
then sighed. "You're advising that he say yes to the nuclear ban? It could
kill him."

"We decided that this administration was going to be about doing what's
best for this country, not what gets the best ratings." KD retorted.

"Nice use of the word 'we' but you weren't here at the time." Toby
reminded her. "Polling shows that 63% of this country believe that the ban
should be vetoed. This is a democracy we're living in, remember?"

"Yes, I remember." KD said dryly.

"So you're suggesting we stand up and tell the citizens of this country
that they're wrong?" He snapped.

"Damn right, if need be." She retorted coolly. Toby slapped the paper in
his hand and collapsed on to her couch.

"This is not about nukes, you know? This is about you. After your
wondrous EPA victory, you believe you can do just about anything." He
exclaimed crossly. KD shrugged.

"I don't see what everybody's getting so riled up about. If you actually
read the memo, you can see I have some pretty valid points. Besides, I
already talked to Joss and he-" KD started.

"More than half of Congress is voting against the ban. It's not your job
to tell Washington they're idiots." Toby interrupted. "It's not your job to
change the world."

"I beg to differ."

"KD, let me spell it out for you. A poll was done. The budget was
studied. We asked Congress. There's no way we can get this damn thing passed."

"But you agree with me that it should be?" KD pointed out. Toby sighed.

"That's not the point. Think politics. You can't get the votes."

"Oh, yes, I can. I don't care if I have to persuade, annoy, persist,
bribe, bug, blackmail or slay every single congressperson in the house, I'm
going to get the damn votes. I'm not give up on this, even if it depletes my
bank account." KD retorted sharply. Toby stared at her silently.

"It occurs to me now that this seems to mean a lot to you. Why?" He asked
softly. KD sighed and looked down at her desk.

"There's still a lot about me you don't know, I'm afraid." She replied
quietly. "But you do know I'm right."

"What I know about you is what you tell me." Toby replied. KD looked at
him, smiled weakly and nodded.

"Six years ago. The, uh, Fairwell test right outside Salt Lake City? Ever
hear about that?" She asked suddenly. He paused and then nodded.

"There was an accident during the test. Had several injuries and one
fatality." He recalled.

"Travis Brody." KD murmured. Toby's breath caught briefly. "Took him six
months to die. I visited him quite often. He said it was his time anyway. He
also said it was ironic because he was almost sent to Hiroshima in World War
II but was called away at the last minute so that they could drop the bomb."
She added. Toby stared at her, stunned. "This is all why Leo thought I might
want the gig. Nothing sways a vote more than a dead uncle."

"Uncle?" Toby repeated.

"My official guardian for the two years between my mother's departure and
my wondrous emancipation. He was in the service all his life, so he couldn't
take care of me personally. I stayed with Joss and Leo and their families. In
the meantime, Travis and I were always very close and the Fairwell accident
was devastating in more ways than one. Toby, this bill has to pass so that no
one else will have to sit by the bed of the dying and wait for time to take
its toll. Toby, this bill has to pass and I swear on his grave, it will."

"Leo may have made a mistake. You're too close to this." Toby murmured.

"Believe or not, I got the whole 'you're too biased' speech and you wanna
know what I say to it?" KD asked with a smile. "I say that we're all biased
about everything. We all have an opinion on something based on everything
that's ever happened to us. Being biased, or being to close to something, is
what makes us good at politics."

"It's not our job to be biased." He replied sharply.

"Like hell, it's not. I'm doing my job. To hell with the rest of the
country. I'm a political advisor, and this is my best advice. Ban nuclear
weapons testing and do it now. Toby, we're not at war; we're not going to
war; if we do, we're not going to go nuclear until a last resort is needed.
This country is safe; it's strong. We don't need the damn tests. Those are
the facts. This is our stance. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." KD
finished, coming up into an angry stance and throwing her pen on to the desk
in a fury. "Any questions?" She asked sharply. Toby stared at her a moment,
thinking about all she had said.

"To hell with the rest of the country?" He repeated suddenly. KD nodded
defiantly. Toby stood up and walked over to her. "Strangely enough," He
started to whisper as he slipped his hands around her waist. "Your little
speech really turned me on." He whispered playfully as he pulled her into a
passionate embrace. She kissed him back and slipped her arms around him.
While they stood there, a soft knock came at the door, immediately followed
by the entrance of Joshua Lyman.

"Oh, boy. I did knock this time." Josh insisted in a half-whine. By this
time, Toby and KD had already pulled apart.

"Yeah, but you didn't wait, Jolly." KD retorted with an exasperated smile
and a playfully accusing finger. Josh smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay. I actually do have some work to do." Toby exclaimed.

"I just came to tell you that we've got to get to the EPA ceremony
thingy." Josh reminded them. KD snapped her fingers.

"That's right! Is it time already?" She asked, glancing at her watch.
Josh nodded.

"Yeah, boss is waiting." He affirmed.

"I'm useless without David. I hate it." KD murmured.

"He'll be back by the time we get back. It's just a doctor's
appointment." Josh retorted.

"I've always hated doctors. Hospitals too, for that matter." KD said to
no one in particular.

"Leo's doing this EPA thing, right?" Toby asked.

"Yeah." Josh and KD said at the same time. The trio smiled.

"Both you going?" Toby asked.

"I'm going, of course. Jolly, you coming?" KD asked.

"Yeah, unless you want my spot, Toby." Josh added.

"I'd like to be there, but I've got some stuff I really do need to work
on. I have to talk to the President about nuclear weapons." He added with a
smile. KD grinned and playfully slugged him.

"I understand, luv." KD assured him. "Jolly and I will just have to run
away together." She added and wrapped her arms around Josh in a playful hug.

"Hey, bad." Toby interrupted and pulled her back to his grasp. The three
laughed again and KD planted a kiss on Toby's envious lips.

"Come on, Kody. Let's go." Josh said as he started out of the room. KD
murmured a response as Toby held her closer, pulling her into a stronger
embrace.

"Kody! Now!" Josh called as Donna handed him his jacket. He smiled and
pulled his assistant into an embrace of his own, tasting her tender lips with
his own. Then he felt a whack on his head. As he turned from a chuckling
Donna, he saw KD moving away with her ever-dangerous agenda in hand.
"Come on, Jolly!" KD called. Josh groaned, gave Donna one more long kiss
and then followed his friend out to the car.

"Congratulations." Leo said to KD as they moved through the crowd of
uproarious political fans and environmentalists.

"This is just as much your victory as it is mine." KD replied as they
reached the end of the aisle and turned towards the motorcade. Ahead of them,
Josh opened the door to the limo and turned back to wait for his friends as
they slowly approached him among their moat of secret service agents.
The next moment seemed to be filled with chaos. A photographer took
another picture of KD and Leo together, but his flash seemed to coincide with
a sound that sent terror into the crowd. As the man set up his shot, KD
caught hold of a rare sight.

"Leo, get down!" She cried as the camera flashed and the gun went off.
Leo felt himself being shoved to the ground and then pulled up again by three
pairs of hands. Leo looked about himself as the secret service agents moved
him to the limo. He saw the crowd panicking. He saw four agents converge on a
young man who was still holding on to his gun. His eyes flew again to see KD
on the ground, staring at her fingers, fingers covered in her own blood, in
bewilderment.

"Katy!!" He cried and tried to break free of the agents to get back to
his surrogate daughter, but the agents were strong and trained to deal with
panicking subjects.

"Kody!" Josh screamed and darted towards her body, but he too was shoved
into the limo by the secret service, and Leo and three agents soon followed
him.

"Go, go, go!" The agents ordered. The driver of the limo hit the gas and
sped out of the driveway. Four agents cleared a path around KD's rasping body
and a fifth called for an ambulance. Danny forced his way through the
barricade and slid down by her side. He tore off his jacket and pressed it
hard against the gushing wound in KD's chest. She glanced at him, bewildered.

"Look at this, Danny." She murmured as she looked into his eyes. He
choked back a sob and looked at the enormous amount of blood that covered her
hand. He continued to press down on the wound and looked to her eyes to see
that they were watering.

"Hang on, damn you." He whispered. KD smiled deliriously.

"If I'm damned, I can't hang on very long." She retorted weakly. Danny
smiled weakly as he saw a tear slip down her face.

"Just stay with me, okay?" He pleaded.

"It doesn't hurt. It did at first, but it doesn't now." She assured him
very softly. "Is Leo okay?"

"Yeah, he's safe." Danny assured her, looking over his shoulder for the
ambulance.

"Is Toby okay?" She whispered. Danny looked at her abruptly.

"He won't be if you don't keep holding on, damn it." He replied sharply.

KD smiled and then her head fell back. "Katy?" Danny whispered. "Katy, answer
me." He pleaded softly. "Katy, come on. Where's the f***ing ambulance??" He
cried and looked back.

He finally heard the siren pull in close by. The paramedics arrived and
pulled him away so that they could get KD's bleeding body into the ambulance.
They allowed Danny to climb in with her and the whole time, he kept his eyes
on hers. Hers were only half open and the fire he always use to see in them
seemed to have all but disappeared.

To Be Continued . . . .