The first indication that anything was wrong were the six men in black suits charging into the meeting.

The second was the sound of Marine One landing on the South Lawn.

The President of the United States glanced around at his senior staff as the Secret Service practically carried him out of the room.

At the French doors Jed stopped them and in true fashion called out for Leo. “What the hell?”

Leo shrugged his shoulders as a junior aide appeared in the doorway carrying a white slip of paper. Pushing his glasses back up his nose he read each word carefully before looking back up at the President. “We’re under attack.”

The few words filled every occupant of the room with dread. There was no more detail, no indication that this was real or just a drill.

“Abbey?” Jed called, resisting the tugging on all sides.

“She’s meeting you at Air Force One, Sir,” someone offered. “The girls are being evacuated to a bunker.”

Then came the question that would turn Jed’s mind into turmoil. “And my staff?”

Leo and Josh exchanged glances, worried and contemplative. They had always assumed he knew that the people who wouldn’t be accompanying him included his closest advisors.

It was Toby who filled the silence, his voice emotionless. “There are other arrangements for us, Sir. You need to get to the plane.”

Jed’s eyes glanced frantically around the room, taking in the expressions on each of them. Toby was staring at his feet, his eyes narrow and his face set in a steely glare. CJ was beside him, folding and unfolding her hands, the fear open, bared, for all to see. Sam was thinking, his forehead twitching as he ran through scenarios. As Jed’s eyes fell on Josh and Leo, it became all too apparent.

The staff were staying, there were no plans for them. For a few moments he didn’t trust himself to speak, concentrating instead on his breathing and racing pulse.

“Leo?” he finally managed to say, ready to stand his ground and fight to stay.

“You should go Mr. President,” Leo growled. He nodded inperceptively at the lead agent, the silent instruction to take the president by any means necessary.

“And you’ll follow behind?” Jed asked, a moment of uncertainty as the agents pulled him across the threshold.

Leo glanced at CJ and back to his oldest friend -- the hardest decision of his life there in front of him.

“Yes, Sir,” he said, his eyes fixed on the rotating blades, his mind still debating whether he actually would.

The agents hustled the President to Marine One and a few minutes later, surrounded by fighters, the helicopter headed into the distance.

Leo turned back to his staff, avoiding the only one who would affect his decision. The slightest glance in her direction he knew would unravel him. “I’ll be in my office.” He walked towards the connecting door before turning momentarily. “Get your staff outta here.”

With Leo’s departure the room once more fell into silence.

Toby rose to his feet and headed towards the door. “I’ll put the evacuation plan into effect,” he growled. “Sam, help CJ with the Press.”

“Shouldn’t we at least find out . . .” Sam started, energetically.

“There isn’t time.” Josh jumped to his feet, his head darting from side to side. “I’ll get Leo on a plane.”

CJ sat on a chair watching them all. They were all so professional, so calm, as if it was nothing more than a drill, and of course it probably was, but the look in Leo’s eyes frightened her.

When the President had asked if he was following, Leo had stared at her as if she held his world in her hands. His body language said, ‘I am Chief of Staff,’ his face read, ‘I’m torn.’

Of course they had never discussed the future, or anything like this. After the first month CJ had assumed he would walk away citing the pressures of work. At the end of the third she had almost ended it, the pressure of keeping it a secret too much. In the end they had reached an understanding, each confiding in their assistants and concentrating on taking their relationship one day at a time.

“CJ,” Sam tried softly for the third time.

CJ looked up from her hands gripped firmly in her lap. “The Press,” she said, acknowledging her role in all of this. As she got to her feet she stole a quick glance at the door to Leo’s office and momentarily closed her eyes, silently offering a prayer to guide him. Then she followed Sam down the corridors to the briefing room.

The building, she soon realized, was in chaos. Donna was standing in the middle of the bullpen bawling her eyes out, Josh nowhere in sight. The rest of the Deputy’s staff were in the process of leaving, in varying states of panic. Ginger and Bonnie had already left on Toby’s insistence. As much as he yelled and moaned he loved his assistants and always gave them his first thought.

The building had never felt more alien than it did in that moment, and no one even knew what was going on.

Carol was waiting in CJ’s office when she arrived. She looked as calm and unflappable as always, stacking messages on the desk.

“You should go,” CJ said softly, picking up her briefing book.

“What’s going on?” Carol asked, eyes wide.

CJ took a deep breath. “No one knows exactly, except we’re under attack and evacuating the building.”

“Do you need anything?”

“No. And you need to get going.”

“How long?” Carol continued to stand in front of the desk, her feet apart, looking almost defiant.

CJ shook her head. “We don’t know. Sam and I need to brief the press. Carol?”

“I’m staying. We can leave together.” Carol’s eyes defied CJ to challenge her.

“Carol?”

“Family sticks together,” she added very quietly.

CJ closed her eyes, debating whether she should call security, then she noticed Donna still crying, bewildered in the hallway. “Okay. Do something for me, will ya? Take care of Donna.”

Carol followed CJ’s gaze down the corridor and nodded.

******

CJ approached the podium tentatively, looking out at the sea of people milling around. Taking a deep breath and tucking her hair behind her ears she motioned for silence.

“Please guys,” she said a second later as Sam appeared at the back of the room, flanked by security.

At the sight of two men in uniform the White House Press Corps took their seats.

“Okay this is going to be brief and then you need to follow the two gentlemen at the rear.” CJ looked out at the familiar faces -- Arthur, Katie, Danny, Steve --and wondered who would be the first one to ask the question. “Approximately seven minutes ago the President was airlifted from the White House. The White House is under attack and we are all being evacuated.”

The sea of faces blurred as hands shot up and questions began firing from all directions.

“You know everything I know,” CJ yelled above the noise. “No more details are available. We don’t know what sort of attack, who it is. I am trying to get more information.”

The barrage of questions continued to fire at her as the news worthiness of the situation merged with fear.

CJ practically ran from her podium back to her office and slammed the door.

******

Leo left the Oval Office and made his way to his desk. Picking up his phone he dialled Nancy’s extension, then Fitzwallace’s, only to find both of them engaged.

He had said yes to the President to get him out of there-whether he would follow, he wasn’t sure and every second he procrastinated could be too late.

“Margaret,” Leo yelled, as Josh appeared in the doorway.

She appeared before him immediately, pen poised.

“Get your coat and go.”

“Where am I going?” Margaret asked, surprised.

Leo looked at Josh, knowing what he was going to say, and wanted to prevent the conversation. “The building is being evacuated, that means everyone.”

“Are you going?”

“Eventually.”

“Then I’ll wait. When you go, I’ll go,” she stated firmly.

Leo looked at Josh, hopefully.

Josh shrugged. “Donna won’t go either. I threatened her with security. It does no good.”

“Well you go and take them both with you. Margaret, go, wait with Donna.”

Margaret was ready to argue when Josh squeezed her arm. “I need to talk to Leo, then he’s going,” he said with conviction. “Take care of Donna for me.”

Margaret looked between them and bobbed her head, closing the door behind her.

“You should be on the plane with him,” Josh said firmly.

“Josh,” Leo chided stubbornly.

“There’s no question. He’ll need his Chief of Staff afterwards.”

“You should be with him, Josh,” Leo offered, trying Nancy again.

“My feelings are well known. I’m staying with the others.”

“I’m just trying to get more information,” Leo grumbled, lifting a folder and throwing it down again.

“So do it from the plane.” Josh gripped the back of a chair. “Nobody thinks any less of you because you get to go. You know if it came down to drawing lots, we’d all fix it so you went.” He meant it too; anyone of them would do anything for Leo.

Leo rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. “There are people here I don’t want to leave behind.”

“I’ll take care of Margaret.”

Leo didn’t, or rather couldn’t, tell him that it wasn’t Margaret he was thinking of.

The phone rang startling both of them. “I need to get this.” Leo picked up the receiver and covered it with his hand. “I’ll follow Josh. You go and take everyone with you.” Leo put the phone to his ear.” Leo McGarry.”

The voice on the other end took him by surprise and he continued to stare at Josh. “Excuse me,” he said to the caller then turned back to his Deputy. “Josh, go. Take Donna, Margaret . . .and CJ with you.”

Josh looked at him, his face neutral. He knew Leo wanted to stay behind and he knew it was his own job to make him go. It all seemed surreal. The message, the evacuation, the lack of information. If it was a drill, it didn’t matter that Leo was breaking the rules, if the White House was under attack he only needed to get him out of the building. Anything more than that and Leo needed to be in the bunker or on Air Force One. Josh was in two minds about what to do.

Leo was getting impatient with Josh. He’d made his decision. And no one was going to change his mind. The President was on the plane, he’d done his job, fulfilled his duties, now he got to do what he wanted.

“Josh, get outta here.” Leo laid the phone carefully on the desk and walked around it, coming to a halt in front of his Deputy. Opening his arms he hugged Josh, taking both of them by surprise. He held him there for a few seconds then released him.

Josh nodded, reluctantly, knowing that Leo had his mind made up and that it was time to be with everyone else.

As Josh left Leo returned to the call. “Abbey.”

“What are you still doing there?” she demanded, never one to hold back.

Leo sighed and rolled his eyes. “My job, evacuating the White House and finding out what the hell is going on.”

“You should be with Jed.” Abbey gazed out of the window as the car pulled up at the plane. “He thinks you’re not coming. He’s snapping at everyone.”

“He’ll be fine when you get there.”

“What’s going on Leo? This isn’t like you,” Abbey demanded as the agent opened the door. ”Your job is to get on the plane, and right whatever has gone wrong.”

“I don’t need you to tell me my job,” Leo growled.

“Then tell me you’re heading for the car.” Her voice was verging on impassioned, revealing just how much she cared about Leo.

Leo groaned. “I’m not getting on the plane, Abbey. I’ll be with the others.”

“What if . . .?”

“If it’s the big one? Then, at least, I’ll know my best friends are all right.”

“Leo,” she pleaded.

Leo rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. “There’s someone.” He hoped that would be enough for her to let it go, to convince her he hadn’t really lost his mind.

“Okay, so bring her with you,” Abbey said softly, straining to hear him as she climbed the stairs to Air force One.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“So our friends are stuck in DC in the midst of whatever,” she snapped. “But it’s okay because Jed and I are safe.”

“That’s pretty much how it works,” Leo offered sarcastically.

“That’s stupid.”

Leo shook his head and pondered whether he could get Abbey to run for something, if they survived whatever this was. Congress could do with someone refreshingly plain spoken.

“Abbey, just get on the plane, and take care of the President.”

“How can you be so damn calm?”

“Because she’s standing in my doorway, raising her eyebrows at me, and I’m about to get another lecture,” Leo replied grinning at CJ’s long frame, arms folded in the doorway.

“She works in the White House?” Abbey asked incredulous.

“Yup.”

“Who is it?”

Leo groaned. “You can speak to her yourself.”

CJ stared at him as he motioned for her to take the phone. He had been so reluctant to go public, especially where the First Couple and staff were concerned, and now he was practically shouting it.

CJ took the phone and grinned weakly at Abbey’s insistent, “Hello.”

“Ma’am.”

“CJ?”

“Yes Ma’am,” CJ said quietly.

“Well, well, well. He’s being a jackass.” Abbey announced in her no nonsense tone.

CJ shook her head and perched on the desk. “He’ll be on the next plane from DC, or in the nearest bunker.”

“He’ll fight you.”

“There’s only me, him and security left. How much fighting is he going to achieve? I can always get security to escort him from the premises.” CJ entwined her fingers with Leo’s. “They’re evacuating the rest of the governmental buildings,” CJ added for both of them.

“I’ll speak to you later CJ, take care of him,” Abbey said softly. “Be good to each other.”

“Thanks Abbey.” CJ returned the phone to its cradle and glared at Leo. “Idiot.”

“Let’s hear it. Say what you gotta say!” He settled back in his chair, still holding her hand.

“You’re the White House Chief of Staff. Your place is with the President. You have the NSC card. I’m the Press Secretary, I don’t.” Her free hand waved about as Leo continued to grin at her. “I’m replaceable, you’re not.”

“I beg to differ,” he grumbled.

“Leo!! The President needs you to be there for the aftermath.”

“Good argument,” he said standing. “Forgot a few things though. How valuable I am if I fall into enemy hands and Jed probably hasn’t got a clue about the nuclear codes.” Stilling her free hand, he grinned. “Want to hear my reasons for staying?”

“So I can shoot them down, yes,” she said firmly.

Leo smirked and moved to stand between her legs. “Just one. I love you.”

“That’s your reason?” she exclaimed. Then her brain began to comprehend what he had just said. “You love me?”

Nodding happily he whispered, “I’m just sorry it took an attack to tell you.”

They stood staring at each other in silence for a few seconds before reality set in.

Here they were stood in his office, when god knows what was coming for them. And despite wanting to hear those words from him for months her stomach was in knots. She knew she couldn’t let it go when there was more than just them at stake.

“That’s not a good enough reason,” she said suddenly.

Leo smirked, moving in to kiss her. “Somehow I didn’t think it would be.” His lips brushed hers as he gazed into her eyes. “Worst case scenario-it’s a nuclear attack-I’m in the bunker with the President. Eventually I emerge-what’s left for me? Nothing. You, Mal, Margaret, Josh, Sam, Donna, everyone I care about is dead. Best-case scenario-it’s a drill; we spend the afternoon making love. And I have time to make sure everyone I care about is protected next time.” He stopped his little speech and stepped back. “So?”

“Leo.”

“CJ.”

“How can you be so calm?” she asked in frustration.

Leo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to the front of the desk. “I’m not calm, and the fact I can’t get any information is driving me crazy. But there’s nothing I can do. Am I scared of dying? No. Where have the others gone?” he asked as his lips covered hers.

CJ threw her hands in the air in despair. “I wish you’d get on the plane.”

Leo smirked as he picked up his briefcase. “As Margaret’s so fond of saying-where you go, I go.”

“They’ve gone to Sam’s, he’s the closest. They don’t know how long or when, so they wanted to be together,” CJ said softly, following him across the room. “You won’t change your mind?”

“No. I’ll wait with you. Sam’s or your apartment?”

“I guess my apartment,” she shrugged as they stopped by her office to grab her belongings.

“It’s going to be okay.” Leo took her hand, making her look down and a soft smile cover her face.

For the first time in their relationship she knew it really would be. Whatever happened they would survive this together.

The End