*~*~*~*

Jed walked through the deserted corridors, two agents trailing behind him. It seemed pointless to have his detail follow him everywhere, especially when the place was so empty, but they’d insisted and he really didn‘t have the enthusiasm to argue with them.

As he passed Josh’s office, he stopped, did a double take and scrunched up his face. It wasn’t possible, either that or he had mixed his medications again.

A light down the corridor caught his attention and he continued towards it. He found CJ at her desk, head down as one hand rubbed her temples.

“Can you tell me why there is a six foot inflatable reindeer in Josh’s office?“

CJ looked up from her briefing file and raised an eyebrow. “No, why is there. . .?“

“No, I’m serious asking. It has a red nose and everything. I guess it’s Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,“ he grinned, coming to a standstill in front of her desk.

CJ groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Where’s everyone?” Jed asked, waving her down as she wearily struggled to rise to her feet.

Pushing the briefing folder aside, she leaned back in her seat. “Gone. There was a memo, Sir. It’s Christmas Eve.”

Jed nodded. That little fact hadn’t gone completely unnoticed. He‘d spent a better part of the day listening to carol singers, the cathedral choir and watching people drink eggnog. Debbie, for her part, had reminded him constantly that he was allergic to eggnog. She didn‘t want him getting sick while his wife was away. He‘d briefly wondered if Abbey would jump on a plane and rush back if he suddenly started throwing up. The knowledge that she would probably end up yelling at him, convinced him to listen to his assistant.

“I’m flying to New Hampshire in the morning to join Abbey and the girls,” Jed said with the slightest hint of a smile. Things might not be harmonious in the Bartlet household but he loved his wife and his daughters, and missed them.

“I’m sure you’ll have a great time,” CJ offered, studying his face carefully.

It was no secret that the First Couple were having difficulties. Abbey had been in her office shortly before she left, complaining that her husband was a jackass, and a few other things besides. CJ hadn’t wanted to get involved. She’d tried that during the early stages of the campaign and had her head bitten off. Even Josh and Toby’s constant badgering hadn’t persuaded her to talk to the President. She’d decided after Abbey’s visit that she’d made the right choice.

“If you think it’s cold outside, you should try being in the room with Abbey and I,” Jed grumbled. “Her present mood is enough to freeze water.”

CJ raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. “With all due respect, but what did you do?”

Jed glared at her and threw his hands in the air. “Why does it have to be something I did?”

In CJ’s experience it was always something the man did. Donna’s tears because Josh had said something stupid about her choice of men; Carol’s mood because Sam had left without saying goodbye; and she wasn’t even going to think about the numerous women Toby had upset.

“Okay, so what did Abbey do?” CJ asked, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Jed drummed his fingers on her desk as he considered what to say. “She got snippy.”

Marriage counselling wasn’t really her thing, having never been married, nor ever wanting too. Why everyone thought, just because she was a woman it should be, was neither here nor there. Surely if he wanted to talk to someone, he’d choose Leo, except for some reason the men never talked about their marriages, so she always ended up getting dragged into the middle of things.

“Is that why you didn’t travel to Manchester with her?” CJ asked softly, wondering if she was on dodgy territory.

He glowered at her and covered his face in his hands. “It’s the whole re-election thing. She’s concerned about my health and I’m not very compliant, although that’s actually Leo’s fault.” Jed gave her a wry smile. He still hadn’t told his staff that things seemed to be on the move. Of course there would come a time soon when he had to and that was something he wasn’t looking forward to.

CJ laughed weakly and wondered how Leo always seemed to get the blame for everything. “She’s your wife, Sir. She’s supposed to worry. Maybe you’ll get the chance to talk over the holidays,” she offered, giving him an encouraging smile.

Jed glanced up at her. “Well if it goes as well as our telephone conversations. . .,” he trailed off. The last thing CJ needed was his marriage problems, especially after the year she‘d had. He studied her face and shook his head at what he found. “You should head home.“

CJ turned to the window and raised the blinds. “Look outside, Mr. President.“

Jed crossed the room and peered outside. “I can’t see anything.“

“That’s because there’s a storm, a blizzard in fact. How do I know it’s a blizzard? Well according to the U.S. Weather Bureau a blizzard occurs when winds exceed 35 miles an hour and the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or lower,” CJ explained. “And there must be snow.” She waved her hand at the window. “According to the latest weather report the Washington area is 15 degrees and the winds top 40 miles an hour.”

“A blizzard?”

“Yes. Although they are most common in the N Great Plains states—South Dakota is sometimes called “the Blizzard State. This may be a fluke.”

He smiled and shook his head, “Bored are we?”

Frustrated would have been a better way of describing it. She’d decided two days ago to take a last minute flight home. Unfortunately when Carol had rang the travel agent, it had been fully booked, hence she was now forced to spend the holidays in DC.

Toby had already left to spend Christmas in New York with his sisters, his father’s visit not withstanding, he was looking forward to spending time with his family. Josh had headed to a bar with Ed and Larry some three hours ago, and had given her the impression he wasn‘t setting foot in the West Wing again until the day after Christmas. What could she say, it was a holiday and the boys had checked out early. Even the assistants had plans. Which is why she’d decided to work late, fully intending to take Christmas Day off and relax.

“There’s not even any coffee in the mess,“ she groaned. “And I’m going to have to spend the night on my couch.“ It was the perfect end to a perfect year.

“Oh well, look at it this way, it’s definitely going to be a White Christmas.“

CJ shot him an indecipherable look.

He grinned back at her. “And a silent night.”

Her eyes searched the desk in vain for something to throw at him. “With all due respect, Sir, can it with the Christmas songs.”

“You’re no fun,” he muttered, walking across the room and peering out her door. “Well, I’m not going to be lonely this Christmas, I’m going to find someone to talk to.”

The weather was going to make taking off at five am virtually impossible, he concluded, heading back through the West Wing in search of another human being. And if it lay, any chance of getting to New Hampshire in the near future was unlikely. He wasn’t sure if Abbey was going to be mad or relieved that he was stuck in the mansion with. . .well whoever was left and CJ. At least it wasn’t Toby. That would have put even more of a dampener on his holidays.

He knocked on Leo’s door and was momentarily surprised to find his Chief of Staff gone. Then he remembered that Leo was having dinner with Jordan. Frustrated and bored, he headed back to CJ’s office.

CJ had wished him luck. She’d tried to leave an hour ago, only to discover the snow storm. Which is when she went looking for someone to help her find her car. As it turned out, except for security, she was the only one there. Even the watch commanders were at home with their pagers.

CJ had watched his retreating back before turning back to the window and analysing the falling snow. If anything the flakes were even larger than an hour ago and the wind had increased in velocity.

At least there was heat and she had a couch, she concluded. With any luck by morning the snow would have stopped and she could venture outside and go home.

“I guess it’s just you and me,” a voice called from behind her.

That was all she needed. “Yes, Sir.” CJ swivelled her seat to face him.

“And I know exactly what we’re going to do,” he offered, far too cheerfully for her liking.

“Sir?”

“Somewhere beneath this building is a secret tunnel. We’re going to find it.”

CJ looked at him, wondering if he was high, or drunk or just losing his mind, in the nicest sense of course, and shook her head. “We are?”

Jed grinned back at her. His eyes lit up and he rocked backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet. “Yup. It’s not as if you have something else to do. Besides it could be fun.” He leaned against the door frame, thoughtfully. “Of course I could go on my own.”

She sighed in the knowledge that her evening was now going to be taken up with nonsense. Abbey would kill her if she let the President go off alone. Jed was known for his disappearing acts, all of which had so far gone smoothly, which didn’t mean that this time they would.

“I’ll come,” she offered with a groan. “But we need flashlights and coats.” She wasn’t about to head into the bowels of the West Wing without being prepared. CJ slipped her cell phone into her trouser pocket and rose to her feet.

“Should we take supplies?” Jed asked seriously. After all they could get lost, or trapped or something. He removed her coat from the coat stand and held it out for her to slip into.

CJ pulled the coat tightly around her. “I don’t think it’s going to take that long.”

“In that case, follow me,” he instructed.

They walked through the corridors of the West Wing and then he led her down the stairs, past the mess and situation room, down another set of stairs, and off down a dark corridor.

CJ turned on the flashlight, that an agent had given her as they passed in the hallway. She knew they were behind her somewhere, their footsteps heavy on the carpet then clicking on the concrete floor. Jed had told them to go away but CJ had looked at them in such horror that they had insisted on accompanying the President on his mission. Jed had pouted for a matter of minutes before stalking off.

The party trooped down dark and sometimes dingy corridors as the President searched for his tunnel. Of course there were probably blueprints somewhere with the exact location marked on. CJ doubted Jed had considered that, not when he could be torturing her like this.

Jed stopped at a dusty staircase. “I guess we go up.” He put one foot on the wooden treads and waited. The wood remained firm and he took another step.

CJ followed behind, her flashlight lighting the way, one eye on the President, the other on the way ahead.

At the top of the stairs they came to a door. Jed turned the handle and it creaked open, revealing another dark corridor. Grinning at her, he bounded through the doorway, looking left and right before turning right.

The corridor itself, looked familiar, CJ decided. At least the slightly yellowing art on the walls and the red carpet did, but then all the corridors in that part of the building looked alike. She continued to follow him, sighing as he disappeared from view. She headed in the direction she’d last seen him and caught sight of him jumping down more stairs.

This time she knew where they were. With the Gilbert and Sullivan pictures and the intense heat, it could only be one place.

“It’s just another office,” Jed groaned, appearing in her flashlight beam.

“There will be food,” CJ offered, as her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She lifted her foot to take the last step and caught her heel on the tread, tripping forwards.

He caught her, his arms gripping her waist as she regained her balance.

“Thank you,” she said in a rush of breath.

His hands remained at her waist. “You know what that is, right?” he asked, motioning for her to look up.

“Mistletoe.” Someone had gone to the trouble of hanging a single, limp sprig of mistletoe over the steps. It looked so pathetic that she immediately felt sorry for Ainsley.

“So?” he asked eagerly.

“Merry Christmas, Mr. President,” CJ muttered, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. She flushed pink. It wasn’t that she hadn’t kissed him before, just that they hadn’t been alone, and he certainly hadn‘t been holding her waist, before.

Jed shook his head mock sternly and frowned. “When Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday, Mr. President, I remember it having a little more oomph.”

Oh, good God, CJ thought. Why was it always her that ended up in these positions? Taking a deep breath, she leaned in and kissed him more firmly on the cheek. “Merry Christmas.” She must have applied a little too much pressure because he toppled back into the wall, or what she thought was a wall.

The plasterboard moved, revealing a door sized opening.

They landed on the floor, Jed on his back and CJ on top of him. She didn’t even want to acknowledge where his hands had ended up.

The flashlight rolled into the distance, lighting the tiny six by six room. Floor to ceiling shelves covered two sides of the room, stocked with food. Everywhere CJ looked were bottles of Fresca and Iced Tea, muffins, candy bars and packages of cookies.

CJ shivered as she climbed off her boss and gave him her hand, pulling him to his feet. “It’s like 3 degrees in here,” she shuddered over the sound of the generator. Someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to make the room a cold store, someone who obviously liked their food.

Jed surveyed the room and smiled. “Ainsley’s secret store?”

“And shrine,” CJ added, taking a step forward and studying the far wall. “I wondered where that had gone, and that,” she commented, studying the thirty or so photos someone had blue tacked to the wall. Sam’s face stared back at her, from election night, from state dinners and lastly from a Halloween party she’d held the first year they were in office. It had been on her office wall until shortly before Sam left. Now she knew where it had gone. The fact that Toby and Josh had been cut from the photo was a little disconcerting.

“Seems the Republican Sex Kitten had a thing for our Sam,” Jed mused, grabbing a box of Goldfish crackers from the shelf. “Goldfish?”

CJ took a proffered cracker and picked up the flashlight. “Well we didn’t find the tunnel but we did find the snacks for our next crisis,” CJ laughed. “Although if Ainsley gets here first we may be out of luck. I wonder if she has any coffee down here.”

“There’s fresh coffee in the residence,” Jed offered, grabbing a box of Oreos. Abbey was so strict about what he ate that the kitchen had taken to banning certain foods. Ainsley it seemed had no such compulsion. “And there are like. . .a hundred bedrooms.” Well five at least.

CJ weighed up her options. It wasn’t quite the Christmas she’d had planned. A night spent alone, on her office couch or in the residence in a warm bed. There wasn’t really a choice.

“Okay.” CJ nodded, motioning for him to lead the way.

Jed led the way back up the stairs and down endless corridors until he found a hallway he recognized.

CJ followed behind, munching the goldfish crackers he’d snagged and waving the flashlight.

Eventually they found themselves in the Mansion.

Jed climbed in the elevator and turned to grin at her, “You know CJ, this couldn’t have worked out better.”

“How’s that, Sir?” she asked, dreading the answer. Knowing the President, he was going to suggest they play trivia pursuit or stay up all night watching ‘A Wonderful Life’ or ‘Miracle on Thirty-fourth street.’

“Despite everything, I get to spend Christmas with family.”

CJ glanced down at him. It wasn‘t the answer she had expected but then he was always full of surprises. “Yes, Sir.” Maybe it wasn’t going to be such a bad Christmas after all.

Sometime Later. . .

An aide stoked up the fire then quietly left the study.

The storm continued unabated outside the window as CJ kicked off her shoes and settled herself on the couch, tucking her feet under her. The warmth from the fire combined with the hot chocolate the President had insisted they make was making her sleepy.

The President sat slumped across from her in his favorite armchair, his tie undone and his eyes fighting to stay open.

He looked so cute, so different from the man in her office earlier that she wanted to hug him. After the year he’d had, the impeachment hearings, the campaign and whatever was going on with Abbey, he deserved a happy Christmas. Hopefully after a few days together in New Hampshire, he and Abbey could work things out. The press nightmare aside, she didn‘t want to think what it would do to him, if they couldn‘t.

As she watched him sleep and the gentle rise and fall of his chest, she made a decision. Maybe it wasn‘t the perfect Christmas they‘d both imagined, surrounded by family, but if they were both going to be stuck there, she was going to make it as happy as possible.

Quietly, she climbed off the couch and gently laid the throw from the back of the couch over him. Confident that he was resting comfortably, she settled herself on the floor and placed her head in his lap.

Within minutes, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Jed smiled to himself and gently stroked her hair. She was like a daughter to him and for the first time in days, she had taken his mind off his wife and their difficulties. He knew also that she’d had a tough year, so if anyone deserved a wonderful Christmas it was CJ, and he was just the person to make sure she got it.

Careful not to disturb her, he draped his jacket over her shoulders and whispered, “Good night, Claudia Jean.” It wasn’t long before he too was snoring softly.

The fire crackled and the snow fell as the clock stroked midnight. All through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The End