Past Tense Rising - 14

All notes are in the previous thirteen parts.

**

"Ginger!" Toby went back into his office exactly three hours after he had
left it. Ginger was nowhere in sight. He raised his eyes heavenward. "CRAP!"

"What?" Leo asked, coming in and closing the door.

"I hope you're satisfied, Leo." Toby growled. "Ginger was about to open up to
me when you called for something that really had nothing to do with me."

"You should have said something." Leo said. "What happened?"

"I was yelling at her about that memo you wanted this morning and she fought
back. Then I asked her why she takes it."

"And?"

"Leo, I saw her eye." Toby said.

"And?"

"It wasn't glass."

Leo nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I figured that."

"I'm going to kill whoever's doing this to her." Toby said. "Do you think
Tribbey would lend me his his cricket bat?"

"Calm down." Leo advised. "Sit down and calm down right now."

"Why?" Toby demanded. At Leo's incredulous look, he went on to say, "Why the
hell should I calm down when someone I know and care deeply for is being
beaten on a regular basis? If I sit by and do nothing, I won't be able to
look at myself in the mirror again!"

"Toby, I hear what you're saying. I really do." Leo said. "But let's remember
that you're in a very high-profile position and anything you do will be a
reflection on the government, the Democratic Party, the President, and this
administration. For some reason, the American public doesn't seem to favor
vigilante justice."

"I want to see Sam and Ainsley." Toby said.

"I'm not sure where either of them went." Leo checked his watch.

"Come on, Leo!" Toby snapped. "Think for a minute! Ainsley probably went to
find something edible and she and Sam are together unless they're working!"

"Okay, Toby." Leo snapped. He was getting to the end of his rope. "I've had
about all I'm going to take from you today. In fact, I've had all I'm going
to take from any of you today. I'll send Sam and Ainsley if I see them on my
way back, but I expect your damn temper to be under control the next time I
see you. Now, where's that memo about voting reform?"

"Here." A contrite Toby handed the memo to Leo. "Sorry."

Leo grunted on his way out. "SAM!"

"He's not around!" Bonnie shouted back. "He and Ainsley went to dinner!"

"Where the hell is my staff when I need them?" Leo demanded. "CJ's in Raleigh
trying to square things with Danny, Sam and Ainsley are always together
whether they're working or not! The only people I can count on to be here are
Josh and Toby! Call Sam and tell him I want his ass back here! We have a
state dinner to plan, a voting reform bill to pass, and... let's see... Oh,
yeah, I almost forgot! A country to run!" he stormed away, heading to his
office.

"Whoa." Bonnie said to no one in particular.

"What was all that about?" Ginger asked, coming back from the bathroom, a
suspicious redness around her one visible eye, but otherwise recomposed.

"I think Toby pissed Leo off." Bonnie said, picking up the phone. "And Sam
and Ainsley are gonna pay for it."

"MARGARET!"

Bonnie and Ginger both cringed for Margaret.

"I think Margaret will be the one paying for it." Ginger said.

"DONNA!" Josh screamed, leaning halfway out his office. "The stuff you pulled
for me off the Internet, where is it?"

"I emailed it to you, Josh." Donna replied. "I knew you'd lose anything I
printed out, so I bookmarked it, under both my domain names, emailed it to
you twice and forwarded it to myself."

"Thanks." Josh went back into his office. "Where's Sam?"

"On his way back here." Ginger cut in.

"Where'd he go?"

"Out."

"He and Ainsley are being way too obvious." Josh said. "I can't believe
Tribbey hasn't raked her over the coals yet."

"This coming from the man who has no clue the entire building knows he has a
thing for Donna." Bonnie muttered. "Sam? Leo told me to tell you to get your
ass back here. Something about being able to count on Toby and Josh and
having a million things to do?"

"Hi." CJ said as she breezed into the bullpen, followed by a confused Carol.

"Hey." Josh shouted. "How'd you get back here so fast?"

"Danny made me take the first flight out." CJ stopped at his office. "Where's
Ainsley?"

"Out." Ginger supplied.

"How's the eye?" Carol asked.

Ginger waved it off nonchalantly.

"All right, listen up!" Leo shouted.

Everyone fell silent and turned to face Leo. Margaret was standing right
behind him. The expression on his face didn't bode well.

Ginger knocked on Toby's office door. "Toby? Town meeting."

Toby came to the door and leaned against the frame.

"Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a high school yearbook staff! And I
am *not* your damn substitute teacher!" Leo started. "You people are here to
work for the President of the United States. You serve at his discretion. And
I have to say, the past few weeks have been the worst I've seen out of this
West Wing. Thank God the press is too caught up in the state dinner ruckus to
ignore what's going on in here!"

"Leo--" Josh started.

"I have the floor, Josh!" Leo snapped. "If things, and people, don't start
shaping up around here, I will find Lionel Tribbey, tell him exactly what has
been going on, give him a list of grievances, make sure he has his cricket
bat given to him by Queen Elizabeth, and turn him loose in here to unleash
hell on every single one of you, something he has been wanting to do for the
past one year and eight months!"

Leo then turned on his heel and left. Silence reigned in his wake as everyone
looked at each other, shocked.

TBC

Past Tense Rising - 15

Home        What's New        Author Listings        Title Listings