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Delays
Luna/Violet
2:30 A.M.
Leo looked around his office without really seeing it. He picked up his coat, flicked the lights off, and walked out into the hall.
Without warning, a pink rubber ball bounced off the wall just in front of him. He jumped, then sighed. "Toby!"
Toby came around the corner. "Yeah."
"Why exactly haven't I fired you yet?"
"Beats me."
"What are you still doing here?"
He shrugged. "There are still things to do."
Leo rubbed his eyes. "It's Friday night."
"It's Saturday morning. There are still things to do."
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Hoynes." Toby shuffled his feet. "The press conference today, the internal polling. You know what he's doing?"
"Toby--"
"He's running for President. Right out from under us."
If it had been possible for Leo to feel more tired, he would have. He exhaled softly. "Yeah."
"I was waiting for you," Toby said. "You were in the Oval for a long time."
"Yeah."
"Has he talked to you about re-election?"
"Go home, Toby."
Toby stepped forward. "Leo, if something's being decided, I need to--"
"We're not going to have this conversation tonight. Put it away for now. Go home."
Leo brushed past him and walked down the hall. Toby stared after him for a moment, then stooped and picked up the rubber ball. He walked down the hall in the other direction, tossing the ball up and catching it as he went.
5:25 A.M.
Sam sat in the plastic airport chair, idly shifting his suitcase from hand to hand and checking his watch. Finally, he got up and walked to the desk.
"Excuse me," he said politely.
The elderly woman did not look up from her computer. "Yes?"
"It's just, this flight was supposed to start boarding three minutes ago."
"To New York?"
"Yes."
"The flight's on time."
"Yes, I know," Sam said patiently. "I know the board says the flight's on time. I know there haven't been any announcements. But it really was supposed to start boarding three minutes ago."
The woman looked at him over the top of her glasses. "It's on time, sir."
"Officially. But in reality--"
"In reality?" She stared at him as if he was speaking in tongues.
"Yeah." Sam gave her a small smile. "I know there are differences sometimes between the reality and the image that's put out for public consumption. Believe me, I know that very well. And I know I can be wrong about things -- I'm not above being wrong. But I have this connection. I was supposed to go up to Sag Harbor last night, in fact, but Stackhouse--"
"Sir?"
He waved a hand. "You don't care. I'm just saying, is it at all possible that the flight's being delayed? Because I'd like to know..." He stopped to read her name-tag. "...Gloria. It's nice to meet you, Gloria. I can handle the bad news, at this point. After all, the flight was supposed to start boarding--"
"Three minutes ago," she finished for him.
"Actually, four now," he said lamely.
"Sir?"
"Sam. Sam Seaborn. Sam."
She fixed her eyes on his. "Sir, the flight is on time."
"See, you keep telling me that, and I keep trying to believe you, but--"
"Why don't you take a seat and wait for the call?" she said pointedly.
"Fine." He threw up his hands and walked back to the chairs. A few moments later, a tone rang out over the loudspeaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Flight 27 to La Guardia Airport has been delayed--"
"I'm disappointed in you, Gloria!" Sam called out, knowing she was ignoring him. "You let me down!"
7:35 A.M.
The President sat alone at the breakfast table, speaking into the phone. "You're staying in Manchester."
"Until the middle of the week," his wife replied. "I'm just really enjoying the time I've been spending with Liz and Annie."
"Abbey."
"Jed, I'm coming back on Wednesday."
"You were supposed to come back tomorrow," he said sadly.
"I like being here," she told him. "I miss this place."
"This is childish."
"Yes, it is. I'm not punishing you. I'm enjoying the time I get to spend in this house. And I will come back on Wednesday. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course." Jed paused. "You missed the candlelight dinner."
"I'm sorry."
"I had it with Leo."
"You had a candlelight dinner with Leo?" Amusement crept into her voice. "And I missed it?"
"See what happens when you're not here?" he said lightly.
"I'm going to have to bribe someone to take pictures next time."
"It won't work. They work for me."
"That's just what we let you think," Abbey teased. "Oh, I almost forgot. Annie was up watching CNN half the night. She wanted me to tell you the Senate kicked ass."
"She said that?"
"That was a quote."
"Did Liz tell her to watch her mouth?"
"She's thirteen years old. Liz is picking her battles."
"I remember those years," he said. "Give them hugs for me."
"Consider it done." Her voice was warm. "It was a pretty neat trick, Jed."
"I thought so." Jed leaned back in his chair. "So you're coming home on Wednesday."
"I'm coming back on Wednesday," she corrected.
"Abbey...."
"I'll call you tonight," she said, and hung up.
8:10 A.M.
"So thanks for the ride," C.J. said, "and the coffee."
Toby tossed his paper cup into the garbage. "No problem. See you."
She laid a hand on his arm to stop him from leaving. "You stayed at work late. To talk to Leo?"
"Yeah."
"And you haven't figured out this Hoynes thing?"
Toby frowned. "Not exactly."
"And you didn't get any sleep at all."
"Not exactly."
C.J. studied his face. "Is this something I should be asking about?"
"I don't know."
"You don't? Or is this one of those times I'm not supposed to know?"
"I don't know, C.J." He looked off past her, down along the terminal. "You're running late."
"A little. It's probably the curse of Bubastis."
He blinked. "What?"
"I may have inadvertently and simultaneously caused an international crisis and angered the ancient spirits. You don't want a piece of that."
"I should have guessed." Toby handed C.J. her carry-on bag.
She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm coming back Monday morning, first thing."
"If you need a ride into work," he said.
She smiled. "Thanks. And you'll call me if anything--"
"Go. Go see your father."
"Yeah." She took a few steps away. "Hey. How about that Senator Stackhouse?"
"Never thought he had it in him," Toby agreed.
"That's democracy for you," C.J. said, and she thought she saw the hint of a smile on his face as she raised a hand in farewell.
12:45 A.M.
"And then in 1986, miracles happened," Josh said into his cell phone. "Honest to God, take-this-staff-and-do-my-wonders miracles."
Donna groaned loudly. "Josh. I'm begging you. We talked about the 60s. We spent a good hour on the 70s. I don't think I can stand this another minute. I don't even like baseball!"
He turned his back to the restaurant's front door and leaned against it. "That's un-American."
"Maybe I'll move to Cairo," she said thoughtfully. "They don't play baseball and they like cats."
"1986," he boomed. "The World Series. Game Six, Donna. It's a famous moment in American history. I was living in this tiny little apartment, and my roommate--" he chuckled at the memory. "My roommate was a Red Sox fan. Game Six, he had the tape player cued up to the 'Hallelujah Chorus'."
"I'd have to learn the language, of course. But I could visit the pyramids whenever I wanted. And I'd have all the tanning time in the world."
"You're not listening!"
"It's a self-defense mechanism!"
"Look, it was the most incredible baseball moment I've ever experienced. The Mets won. My roommate cried. I jumped three feet in the air and knocked over a cooler full of beer, if you can believe it. I love this team. I have cried tears of blood for this team." He sighed loudly. "And I finally get a chance to go to spring training. I have this golden opportunity to see a game--"
"A game played against themselves that doesn't count--"
"I can hear you rolling your eyes, Donna."
"Good."
"And what happens? It rains!" He looked out the window. "In Biblical proportions. What did I do to deserve a rain delay?"
"You'll survive."
"No, I--" Josh froze suddenly, as a group got up from a nearby table and approached him.
"Josh?" Donna asked, when he didn't say anything for a while.
"Hey, dude," Mike Piazza said. "You mind getting out of the way?"
He stepped out of the doorway quickly, still staring, with his mouth hanging open.
"Josh? Are you there?"
"That," he managed to squeak out, "was amazing."