Country and Family

Chapter 1: Past Tense

"So when's the last time you saw him?" Will asked as his deputy ate her lunch.

After a long pause she looked at him confused. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"You listen to me almost as well as Toby did." Will responded. "I asked you when the last time was that you saw him?"

"Compliment noted and appreciated. The last time I saw him? Last Sunday at family dinner. You know he is the closest thing to a father Charlie ever had."

"So why are he and President Santos coming?"

"You're higher on the pay grade--why would I know and not you?" She smirked at him a loudly took a bite of a carrot.

"Well, you are married to the Deputy Chief of Staff who also happens to consider President Bartlet his pseudo father so I assumed you would have some insider information, Lacey. Plus, they like you better than me." Will explained.

"With your sunny personality I can't imagine why that would be." She crumpled up the bag and threw it into the trash can across the room.

Will was about to respond, however their conversation was interrupted by Charlie, "you two, the President wants to see us."

"I know it's been a year, but am I the only one who finds it weird calling him Mr. President?" Will asked as they exited his office and walked down the corridor.

"You don't think he's deserving of that title?" Lacey asked.

"Of course I do, it's just strange to no longer call him by his first name." Will responded.

"You can try calling him by his first name, but I wouldn't recommend it." Josh Lyman, Chief of Staff, interjected as he joined the conversation.

"I still can't believe he got you out of "retirement."" Charlie said to his superior.

"How could I turn him down after that bozo left him high and dry. Seriously, who leaves this position after ten months? I have to tell you though, it took a lot of wining and dining of Donna." Josh smiled thinking of his former assistant now wife.

"She could always come work here again." Lacey offered.

Josh stopped in front of the door to Oval Office. "How'd that work last time you tried to convince her?"

"She hung up on me." Will responded.

"Exactly." He opened the door and the four walked in to find the President with his glasses off and rubbing his temples.

"Sam, you wanted to see us?" Will began.

Sam looked up from the desk as his eyes flittered between Josh and Will. "Josh dared you?"

"Pretty much." Will responded.

"Moving on, Josh has informed me that the bill to provide federal funding for art and music programs in schools is only 7 votes down. I don't think I need to tell you how much we need this to pass. This has been a rough 12 months for us." President Seaborn put his glasses back on and got up from his desk.

"Sir, about your meeting tomorrow with President Bartlet and President Santos, the press is asking why you need help from your predecessors." Will shifted uncomfortably.

"And what have you told Annabeth to tell them?"

"That Presidents frequently seek the counsel of the only people who could understand exactly how the job of being president is and that you value their opinions on matters." Lacey explained.

"You have a problem with that explanation, Will?" Sam asked.

"No sir, not at all."

"Good."

Everyone thanked the president essentially in unison and then followed Josh to his office.

"Why is he having them come here? Most presidents just speak with their predecessors on the phone." Will flopped down in a chair.

"I think this could help our numbers. Bartlet and Santos were well-liked presidents." Charlie offered.

"We don't need to ride their coattails to gain the approval of the American public." Will insisted.

"We aren't riding anyone's coattails--it is a meeting of the minds and if that helps approval numbers, okay." Josh leaned back in his desk chair and looked around at the three sitting in front of him. "Anything else?"

"We'll head back and work on Annabeth's remarks regarding the meeting." Lacey said standing up and heading towards the door; Will begrudgingly followed.

Charlie laughed. "Sometimes it's hard to tell who is the director and who is the deputy."

----

It was strange for him to be back in a place that had been his home for 8 years. Sure, he has been back since he left office, but each time it seemed like an out-of-body experience. This also marked only the second time that Abby joined him on the trip--the first had been Sam's inauguration.

He was incredibly proud of his former Deputy Communications Director. After President Santos' Vice President jumped off the re-election ticket, Sam realized his potential by accepting the nomination for Vice President. President Bartlet was very active on the campaign trail for Sam. The only person missing from his own campaign was his late friend Leo. He knew that Leo was looking down and was as immensely proud of Sam as he was.

Following his return to New Hampshire, Jed Bartlet made sure to keep in weekly contact with one important staffer--Charlie. Even though Charlie and Zoey didn't end up with each other, Jed considered Charlie family, and Charlie considered the Bartlets family as well. When Charlie first began dating Lacey, he brought her to Sunday dinner to meet the entire Bartlet family. Charlie met Lacey while attending Georgetown. She was in her first year of law school when he was in his last. Similar to Charlie, she had no living parents; as such, the Bartlets chose to adopt her as well. Had they not eloped, the president would have happily walked her down the aisle.

A hand on his arm pulled him from his reverie. "What time are we expected for dinner?" Abby asked.

"Sam said 7:00."

She smiled at him as he turned his attention to the streets they were passing in the limo. "It will be nice to see everyone again."

Jed smiled. "Yes, yes it will."