Title: Leo Cooking and Easter Eggs Daylight series 3/?
By: chipmunk
Pairing: Leo/Margaret
Rating: TEEN – P&SC (See Rating Chart Below)
Spoilers: None
This is not strictly cannon by the show.
Doesn't matter the year or the situation.
Beta and
Disclaimer:
The characters are from the NBC, WB, A John Wells Prod., TV show, ‘The West Wing’.
They own them; therefore, they do not belong to me.
They are the creation and property of Aaron Sorkin. I only borrowed them.
No copyright infringement is intended. No monetary benefit is received or anticipated.
A ‘grateful’ and ‘enormous’ thanks, to the actors and actresses,
who portray the characters brilliantly and bring them to life in my head.
Feedback: I would love it hear your opinion! PLEASE! It helps to improve my writing!
Archived at: http://www.geocities.com/chipmunkswhimseys/
Summary: Leo shows up to cook on a Saturday night and finds Margaret boiling lots of eggs.
Note: This short fic is third in the Daylight series. Hope you enjoy!
~ For his wonderful
gift to us of Leo, I humbly dedicate this fic to John Spencer. ~
*********************************************
It’s
After a couple of minutes, Margaret hears her name being called from inside the apartment and a smile spreads across her face. Soon, out of the corner of her eye Margaret sees Leo standing in the kitchen doorway, with a bag of groceries and his clothes satchel. It’s been a week since his last cooking adventure. The problem is, she’s currently using most the kitchen and too involved with the stove at the moment to really look at him now.
Sitting his grocery sack in an open area on the counter, Leo grins and just to make her jump, since she’s watching what she’s boiling on the stove, he inquires loudly, “Margaret, ‘what’ are you doing in ‘my’ kitchen?” He leans over to peer into the steam rising from a large pan.
“Well, Leo, to begin with, it’s ‘my’ kitchen. My name ‘is’ on the mailbox,” Margaret gives him a ‘quick come back’ remark, to stall from answering his question.
Giving no comment about what he found in the boiling pan, Leo nods his head to the side as if to give her that point. Taking his clothes satchel with him to get changed, hurries to the bathroom.
Margaret glances up at the empty doorway where Leo just left, ~Now, I’m going to catch it. Maybe he won’t make fun of my situation, if I can just convince him to help and this might work out to be an easier project than I thought. It might even be fun, if he’s game to help!~
Leo returns to the kitchen and Margaret scans his casual attire, from top to bottom. ~Boy, oh boy, he makes a good ‘James Dean’ impression tonight. Form fitting white t-shirt, faded jeans, no belt and his thick white socks. ~ “Never takes you long to change, Leo. Did you have to practice that talent?” Margaret teases, afraid he’ll notice that she’s looking at him a little too long.
“Picked it up in the military, Margaret. Now, I’m glad I forgot to pack me a casual shirt. You really have it warm here in the kitchen.” He’s pulling a few times at the neck of his t-shirt, letting Margaret know that he’s aware of her inspection.
Leo then changes gears and folding his arms across his chest, he tilts his head to the side and looks at her with narrowed eyes. “Margaret, should I even ask why you’re boiling enough eggs to feed an army?” Leo knows this is going to be an interesting answer. He loves to be sarcastic with her. Leo knows that ‘his’ Margaret tends to blush, when she gets flustered.
“To begin with, they’re not to eat. They’re for hiding,” Margaret simply explains.
Leo leans toward her and asks in a stage whisper, “Hiding? Here? Are you ‘into’ hiding eggs around the apartment, Margaret?” Leo knows she’s about to bust, from either the fact that he’s acting dense, or that he’s teasing her.
Margaret rolls her eyes and then pins a narrowed glare at Leo, “Well, since it’s not obvious to you, this ‘is’ Easter weekend and they’re for an Easter egg hunt tomorrow afternoon at the neighborhood community center.”
Leo remarks back to her, like he’s not a total idiot, “I know its Easter weekend, Margaret. Remember, the President threw the staff out of the White House till Monday.” Leo places his hands at his hips. “How else would we be standing here, at this time of the evening?”
Leo pause only a beat, since he really did not expect an answer.
“How many eggs are you boiling?” Leo decides to pin her down to a number, looking at her with one eye and head cocked to the side, since he may not really want to know the answer.
“I’m doing half of them and Kathy’s family downstairs is doing the other half,” Margaret tries to lessen the sound of the amount, by informing him that she’s not doing all of the eggs for the hunt.
“Then, how many is half?” He’s still going for a number and getting a little worried at this point.
“Twenty dozen is all,” like she does this all the time is Margaret’s casual answer.
“You’re telling me that you’re going to boil and color 240 eggs this evening,” Leo points out in amazement. “I do assume you’re going to color them and my next question is more to the point. You ‘have’ got a plan as to how you’re going to color this many eggs,” he questions, as Leo knows Margaret usually has a plan.
While watching that the pan doesn’t boil over, Margaret proceeds to tell him, “Well, Leo, first I’m just getting them boiled. Then, while they cool I’ll work out the details on a system for coloring them. I’m hoping that I could do large batches of different colors. Maybe use the large mixing bowl, the tossed salad bowl and a few casserole bowls. You can’t use metal bowls or utensils, because you’ll get funny results with the vinegar. I picked up the liquid food coloring, at the same time as I purchased the eggs. I could spread out newspapers on the table and let them dry on them,” Margaret is rattling off the details.
“Whoa, Margaret, you lost me in there somewhere. What’s with the vinegar? You aren’t making a salad out of the eggs?” Leo runs the palm of his hand down the back of his hair, as he tries to figure out what Margaret just said.
Margaret looks at him, to let Leo know she really expects an answer to her next question, “Just when ‘was’ the last time you colored Easter eggs, Leo? Mallory must have wanted to color eggs as a child,” Margaret thought that she’s stating the obvious and resumes her watch on the boiling eggs.
“For your information, Margaret, I haven’t colored Easter eggs, since I was a child and we just dropped some tablets in a coffee cup of water. Jenny colored eggs with Mallory, while I was at work.” Leo tries to bite off the last sentence. He didn’t feel he should have brought up Jenny’s name.
Margaret could tell Leo wants to take back mentioning Jenny’s name. Leo is looking everywhere, but at her.
To make Leo more at ease and clear up this dilemma, Margaret comments back to him. “Leo, just to get this clear. Don’t you ever worry about bringing up Jenny or Mallory around me. I’ve liked Jenny for years. We had an unspoken partnership in taking care of you.”
Margaret pauses only a second and then clarifies, “When Mallory was little and before I worked for you, I’m sure you must have worked a lot of hours, to get where you are today. There’s no fault in providing for your family, Leo. Jenny was at home, so naturally she helped Mallory with holiday events.”
Margaret makes sure she has eye contact with him, “You and Jenny have a history together, Leo, and raised a daughter together. A divorce doesn’t erase that. I just wanted to let you know it’s OK to talk about them. I understand.” She said this last part all in a rush, so he wouldn’t stop her from saying it.
A short inhale of air and Margaret changes the topic, “Now, Leo, back to the eggs. I’m so glad you showed up. I’m beginning to think I need you to carry the boiling pot. It’s really heavy and my arms are tired, from all the batches I got done, before you arrived here. I will need it in the sink, so I can run some cold water in it. It helps to cool down the eggs.”
Margaret looks heavenward momentarily and comments, “Thanks Goodness, I have only one more, large batch to boil, after this one.”
Leo is smiling now, “So, now all I’m good for in the kitchen, is a strong pair of arms?” Leo was back in his good mood. The one he had the last time he fixed dinner. “Where did you get this huge pot anyway? Did you steal it from the Whitehouse kitchen,” He’s teasing her again.
“Leo, they were kind enough to let me borrow it for the weekend, since it’s for a community project.” Margaret assures him.
“Like I’d sneak it out of the
Whitehouse, Leo,” she’s looking at him, ‘like are you nuts’? Then breaking into a grin she adds, “That
would really set off the metal detectors!” Margaret is joining in on his
teasing. ~ I’m sure amazed at his Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde personalities that he
has between here and work. I definitely
like the one he has here at the apartment better.~
Leo has one hand in his front jeans pocket and the other hand flat on his abdomen, “Margaret, how’s this for a plan? While these eggs are cooling, I’ll fix us a quick dinner.” He then gestures toward the stove. “You can put on the last batch to boil, while we eat.”
Leo now shoves his free hand into his other pocket. He rocks back and forth in his sock feet, as he continues his plan. “After we’re done eating, the last batch of eggs should be ready to cool. You can then get the items ready that we’ll need to color the eggs, while I clean up the kitchen from my cooking dinner. Then we’ll set up a system of coloring the eggs and spreading them out to dry.” Leo stands still a moment and looks at her face, for her opinion of his plan.
“Ok, Leo, that will work great for me,” Margaret easily agrees.
Once Leo deposits the pan in the sink, he starts unpacking the vegetables that he brought, while Margaret takes care of the now cooled batch of eggs and prepares to boil the last batch. They both work in happy silence. Each is content to be sharing this time together away from work.
******
After dinner, Margaret has one of the counters filled with large bowls and the items needed to add the color. “Leo, could you look in the utensil drawer and get out all the large plastic spoons? We’ll need them to scoop the eggs out, after they’re colored.”
“Margaret, I think it would be a good idea if I also cover the floor with newspapers, because I just know we’re going to drip on the floor.” ~I just know this is going to take awhile and accidents do happen. This ‘is’ a small kitchen, ~ Leo logically anticipates.
While they’re dipping eggs into the bowls and scooping out the ones that are dark enough, Leo continues thinking, ~I know just what to say to make her blush.~ “Margaret,” a slight pause, so she’ll look at him,”You would make a nice bunny.” He grins really big at her and wiggles his eyebrows at her suggestively.
Margaret is blushing, just like he knew she would. Sounding indignant, she shakes a spoon at him, “Leo, that better be an ‘Easter’ bunny and not the one I think you’re suggesting.”
Leo continues grinning and he then shrugs his shoulders, acting innocent. He’s not telling which.
Margaret is now looking at the eggs and not at Leo, “No one at work better ask us what we did for entertainment tonight. They’d be rolling on the floor laughing,” she states to Leo.
Leo is trying to sound like he’s agreeing. “Or they’ll be looking at us like we’re crazy,” he states, then Leo really grins big and adds, “Especially when they hear that you’re hiding eggs and I’m looking for a bunny.” He starts laughing and Margaret can’t resist joining him in the enjoyment.
*********
Finally, they have the last egg placed on the table to dry and they’re both ‘so’ glad the job is done.
“I feel like I wrestled the Easter Bunny, instead of helping him,” Leo tries to sound grouchy, but can’t pull it off, since he has a tired, but satisfied grin on his face. Leo clasps his hands together and stretches his arms over his head.
“I know what you mean, Leo, but it’ll be all worth it tomorrow. To see and hear the little kids laughing and squealing with delight, as they discover them hidden in the park.”
Margaret adds, with the same look on her face, as Leo. “Thanks for helping me. I’d have been half the night getting this done, Leo, if you hadn’t shown up and rescued me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Margaret. I might think of something you can do to reward me, for being the knight in shining armor.” Leo has a hopeful look and smile on his face.
Margaret’s mind is whirling, so many ideas pop into her head. Most of them would probably shock Leo. ~Then maybe not, but I’m not going to try and fulfill all my daydreams of Leo, just yet. I don’t want to scare him off, just as he’s learning to make himself at home here!~
“Margaret, someone ‘is’ going to
help you to delivery all these eggs in the morning, right?” Leo asks, as he can’t see her doing it all by
herself. ~I hope more than one other person, or she’s going to be making several
trips up and down the stairs, to her car.~
“Yes, Leo, they’re sending over some teenagers really early to pick up the eggs, so they can hide them before the hunt, for the little kids,” Margaret reassures him.
“So, Margaret, what else did you plan on doing this evening?” Leo casually asks, as he strolls into the living room and helps himself to the jellybeans in the dish that he finds on the coffee table. Leo notices that Margaret has foil covered, chocolate eggs in a dish on her side of the couch. ~I like the idea of my side and her side of the couch concept,~ he thinks to himself, with a grin.
She’s trying to sound casual also, but is still anxious, “I was going to listen to ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ movie on TV, while I worked on the eggs, but now I can sit and watch it. I don’t think we missed too much of it,” she hints, since she wants him to stay and watch with her.
Leo, quickly agrees, “Sounds good to me. I’ll go get us something out of the fridge to drink, if you’ll go ahead and find the channel.” Leo then warns her, “Leave the jelly beans alone! I’m claiming them for me during the movie”
“Fine with me, Leo. Just don’t touch my chocolate eggs. They’re a tradition with me,” Margaret counters, staking her claim to the chocolate. She hears him rattling in the fridge, as usual. “I’ll take some of my strawberry flavored water to drink. I don’t want too much caffeine, this late in the evening. My chocolate eggs will have enough caffeine in them and I plan on sleeping well tonight.”
“No problem, Margaret, I prefer dark chocolate, when I can get it. Milk chocolate is for sissies!” Leo knows that’ll get a rise out of her. “Mallory likes to buy me the bag of Dove dark chocolate in small squares. I keep them in a bowl in my hotel room.”
“I’m no sissy, Leo, but dark chocolate isn’t sweet enough for me.“ Margaret defends her choice in chocolate.
“You’re already sweet enough for me, Margaret,” Leo adds, as he returns from the kitchen with the drinks.
Margaret tries hard to still look Leo in the eye, as he hands her a glass, but she can’t think of a snappy reply to what he said, ~ Oh, wow! Did he just say, what I think he said?~
Margaret opts for a simple answer. “Thank you, Leo,” she tries to keep the blushing to a minimum. ~What ‘am’ I supposed to reply, when he says something like that. Leo just likes to make me blush. If he keeps this up all evening, I’m not going to need to wear blush to church in the morning. But it sure helps my ego!~
They both get comfortable on the couch for the movie. Tucking their feet up and settling into a fluffy throw pillow propped into each corner. Bowls of candy now resting on the couch cushion in from of each of them.
***************
As the movie ends, they’re both content from watching a good movie, which reminds them of the blessings of the Easter season.
Needless to say, after the credits,
Leo grabs the remote and changes to a news program, since it is
The first thing on the news is a problem going on in the Middle East and Leo feels that he better check in with the President. He regretfully gets up to grab his cell phone out of his suit coat, that’s hanging over the desk chair. Leo quickly pushes the speed button that connects him to the White House and steps into the hallway for the call.
After a short conversation, Leo
returns to the couch to inform Margaret of the results of his call. “Well, the President apologized to me, since
he had banned everyone from the Whitehouse for the rest of the weekend, but he
needs me to come in long enough for him to make a call.” Leo nods to the TV set, “The President wants
to try to calm some of the hotheads in the
“Leo, I can get changed and go in with you. You might need me for something,” Margaret is already swinging her feet to the floor.
Leo holds his hand up, palm out, to stop her from rising, “No, the President feels bad enough asking me to come in, even for a short while. He’d really feel bad if you went to the office with me.”
He then quickly adds, “Not that the President would have a problem with us spending the evening together. In fact he’d be overjoyed that we’re having some ‘down time’ together.”
Putting a hand on his chest Leo goes on, “Then, he’d feel just terrible for calling me away. So you just relax. Maybe get some of that sleep you planned on.”
Leo hesitates, then reluctantly continues, “So, I better change back into some work clothes now and get over there.”
Margaret looks hard at Leo, to see if he’s just acting like he doesn’t need her in the office, to give her the night at home. He seems sincere.
Margaret then mentions to him, “Leo, you’d better leave your t-shirt here for me to bleach. It has tiny spots of food color on it,” she points out to him, trying to be helpful.
“Ok, sure,” Leo agrees with a smile. He then proceeds to pull the bottom of the t-shirt out of his jeans and peel it off over his head.
Margaret‘s eyes are glued on him, as he reveals to her a nice chest that is finely coated with sandy gray hair and then he hands his t-shirt to her. ~I didn’t know that you get gifts at Easter, but I now may have to remember, how to breathe again. What he keeps hidden under that suit of his, is probably the best-kept secret at the White House and I’m not telling anyone.~
Leo heads back toward the bathroom
where his work clothes are and Margaret watches his retreating bare back. She sighs softly and grins. ~I told
him to make himself at home, in my apartment and I’m so glad he took me at my
word.~ Leo
returns shortly in his suit pants and dress shirt, but he’s not wearing his tie
or the suit coat. ~Must be because it’s late at night. The open neck button reveals, just a glimpse
of his bare chest. I plan on nice dreams
tonight. ~
She’s been sitting on the couch, while he changed clothes, trying to think of anything Leo needs to know from his schedule, since he’s leaving.
“Remember, Leo, you have Mass in the morning with the First Family,” Margaret reminds him and then adding, “You’re to pick up Mallory at the Airport at 4pm and you really should spend some time with her tomorrow evening. It’s the last day of her Easter break.’ She then additionally suggests, “You two could get dinner somewhere, on the way to her house and catch up on each other’s lives,” Margaret suggests.
“I may just do that.” Leo looks at her with a small smile.
“Thank you, Margaret, it’s been a memorable evening and if I don’t see you tomorrow, Happy Easter,” Leo says softly, as he kisses her on the forehead.
~Well
that makes my Easter complete,~ Margaret smiles and snuggles down into the
couch, with his t-shirt tucked to her chest and it smells like his wonderful
cologne. She stretches her legs out and
touches the throw pillow, which Leo left in his corner of the couch. ~What a
wonderful evening it turned out to be!~
The end
p.s. till next Sunday or maybe Saturday
~ In memory of John Spencer ~
~ Thanks for the hugs, John! ~
blessings
chipmunk
Betty Lou Riley [email protected]
Happy Easter
Rating System!
·
GV — Graphic Violence