The American President

By Jen F

Jump to new as of December 6, 2000
Jump to new as of December 18, 2000
Jump to new as of January 18, 2001

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 November 2000

Characters:
Andrew Shepard............Fitzwilliam Darcy
Sydney Ellen Wade.........Elizabeth Anne Bennet
A.J MacInerney............Charles Bingley (C.J.-short for Charles James)
Lewis Rothschild..........Richard Fitzwilliam
Robin McCall..............Anne de Bourgh
Senator Rumson...........George Wickham
Leon Kodak...............Edmund Hurst
Mrs. Chapil.............Mrs. Reynolds
Susan Sloan.............Caroline Bingley
Leo Solomon.............William Lucas
Janie Basdin.............Abby Annesley
Sydney's sister......... Jane Bennet
Lucy Shepard.............Georgiana Darcy
Agent Cooper.............Agent Derby

Part One, Section One

Abby Annesley and President Fitzwilliam Darcy are passing through the hallway outside to the West Wing where the President coordinates his day. Abby Annesley is an extremely efficient twenty-five year old who's job is keeping the president in order. She knows that one mess-up in his day's schedule the whole country could come crashing down. Well, not that dramatic, but her job is on the line everyday coordinating the President's day. When he has an efficient day, she has done a job well done. As they are passing the doors, President Darcy's agent Derby talks into his walkie-talkie indicating that "Liberty's moving."

As they are walking side-by-side, Abby speaks up," Sir, the 10:15 event's been moved inside to the Indian Treaty Room."

President Darcy thinks for a second as his face slightly creases, but just slightly and turns to Abby and asks, "The 10:15 is the American Fisheries?"

"Yes, sir," Abby says from memory. "They are giving you a 200-pound halibut."

"Abby, make a note," President says slyly in his business-like tone. "We need to schedule more events where somebody gives me a really big fish."

As Abby starts to make a note, President Darcy sighs and grins just slightly, "I was just kidding, Abby."

Abby is taken aback for a moment, but does not hesitate to answer. After all, how often do you hear the President try to joke with you? "Of course, sir."

President Darcy finally notices Agent Derby who has somehow gotten ahead of them while they are talking as they enter into the West Wing on the elevator, "Hey Derby," he says cheerfully and politely to his agent.

Derby automatically says, "'Morning, Mr. President." They go through this everyday, it is almost automatic.

As the doors close on the elevator, Abby turns back to President Darcy and says something she had almost forgotten, "Mr. Fitzwilliam asked to have a moment with you this morning."

"Was he upset about the speech last night?" President Darcy asked knowing exactly what the answer was going to be.

Abby hesitated and wondered how to put this delicately in front of the President, "He seemed....concerned."

President Darcy laughed to himself, "Well, it wouldn't be a Monday morning unless Richard was concerned about something I did Sunday night."

And as if on cue, the elevator doors open and Richard Fitzwilliam with his red hair stands with a "concerned" look on his face and says to President Darcy, "You skipped a whole paragraph!"

President Darcy turns back to Abby and raises his eyebrows as if to say "See I told you so" and says aloud, "And a Monday morning it is."

Richard follows Abby and the President has they walk toward the President's office and protests almost whining, "Americans can no longer live in a great society and then...nothing. You dumped the whole handguns paragraph."

President Darcy raises his eyes reproachfully to Richard as if to warning him off, but that does not phase Richard a bit and says, "This is a time for prudence, Richard."

Richard sighs and protests while entering the main hallway into the President's office. There is a beautiful view from the outside area where there are groundskeepers working on the White House gardens. Richard mumbles, "That was the kick-ass section."

"Well.. I thought with being President and all..."

Richard sighs for a moment and takes his next step cautiously as he can tell the President is angry at him and says his next words cautiously, "Of course, sir.. I didn't mean to imply.."

"I thought you would be turning cartwheels today," President Darcy continues on a little more cheerfully. "A 63 percent job approval."

"Of course that's great sir, but..." Richard starts to say, but is immediately interrupted by the President as he calls out to one of the groundskeepers as they call good morning to him.

"Good morning," the President hesitates for a millisecond before Abby whispers to him, "Charlie."

"Mr. President," Richard tries to grab the President's attention once again by introducing the subject of the speech once again. "I really think we need to focus on.."

"Richard," President Darcy says to him sharply, almost losing his temper. "However, much coffee you drink in the morning I want you to reduce it by half, please?"

"But sir," Richard protested with a crease growing in his face. "I don't drink coffee."

"Then hit yourself with a baseball bat, would you please," President Darcy says gruffly and sharply in order for Richard to get his meaning.

"Of course, sir," Richard falters.

The three people have now reached the outside of the President office where his main secretaries sit, including Abby Annesley, his personal aide.

"Good morning, Mrs. Reynolds," the President says friendly to the main secretary who gives him a cup of coffee. "How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you, Mr. President," her friendly, but business-like face smiled back at him. "Mr. Hurst has left you a break-down of the polls. He seemed to indicate it was good news."

"It is," President Darcy smiled back at her. "Sixty-three percent of it, anyway." The President finally enters his office while picking up a pile of memos and reading them at the same time as he listens to Abby.

"Georgiana's school called a bit ago, they said you forgot to sign a permission slip," Mrs. Reynolds told the President.

As she was telling the President this information, Abby felt like slapping herself in the face for forgetting, "The museum trip, of course. I'll go and get it for you."

With the mention of Georgiana, Darcy's face brightened up immediately although, he was President of the United States he was first and foremost a father to Georgiana; his pride and joy. He asked Abby," What time does she get home today?

"At three-twenty," Abby said automatically.

"How does my afternoon look?" He asked her because he wanted some pleasure time with his only daughter before he headed of to more tedious presidential work.

"Extremely busy."

Knowing that Abby was capable of handling his schedule he commanded," Schedule some time at 3:45?" And almost laughed at himself for having to schedule time with his daughter. Only the joys of being president.

"Buenos dias, Senor Presidente," said a cheerful busy-like voice as she entered into the room. She smiled as she straightened her raven-black hair as she held onto her folder.

"What do you know, de Bourgh?" he looked up and smiled as he saw his favorite press secretary. "Como estas en Cuba?"

Anne de Bourgh raised her eyebrows as she smiled and said skillfully, "I didn't truly appreciate it until I discovered that American wasn't a great society."

Richard smiled as he moved toward Anne and said under his breath, "He dumped the whole hand guns section."

"And now there is this thing hanging out there," President Darcy said sarcastically while rolling his eyes in his mind.

"Not a great society, sir?" Anne said hesitantly.

"Well with you gone, it wasn't," he said but added good-naturedly. "But now you are here we are great again."

"There is a whole bunch of people in the press room saying 'what did he mean by that'?" Anne said doubtfully and worriedly to him.

"See!" Richard said triumphantly to the President.

President Darcy ignores the two and continues reading his memos and stops short on one and asks his chief of staff and also his closest friend, "C.J, did you get one of these?"

"Is that from Lucas from the GDC?" Charles Bingley, better known as C.J, asked the president as he walked into the President's office. C.J. was single and one of the best-looking and available men in the District of Columbia with his striking blond good looks. He was in every way the opposite to his best friend and President the only thing they had in common at times was their Democratic party. But, C.J. was Darcy's right-hand man who knew about the President's weakness in a way no one else in the room could.

"It would appear to be a letter from the whole environmental community, "President Darcy said in astonishment. "These people are out of control!"

C.J. thought to himself about his sister who was lobbying at the GDC. Just the other day, she was talking to him about this. He would bet his life that she was the one who wrote this. "I think they are just frustrated, sir." That was certainly true, Caroline was frustrated, jealous, among other things..

Anne looked up in surprise, after all the GDC had always seemed to support them. "Are they blaming the President for global warming?"

C.J. hesitated and tried to answer it as delicately as he could, "Well... they don't think that he caused it if that's what you mean." He sighed an rubbed a hand through his blond hair and said to the President exasperated, "Honestly sir, I'm not sure what they want at this point. I'm on the phone with them twice a week." Actually, C.J. thought to himself, more like twice a day.

Richard grinned silently because he knew who sat on the GDC as well as C.J. did, "What THEY want is a 20 percent reduction."

President Darcy said irritated, they had been through this before, "It won't pass at 20 percent."

Richard bit his lip and sat down in his chair as he added, "Well, we haven't really tried."

C.J. turned to Richard and gave him the same lecture he daily gave his sister," Richard, Pemberley, Ramsgate, and Longbourn hold too many markers. If we push this through and lose there will be a very loud thud and that's not what you want on election year."

Richard sighed as he seated more comfortably in his seat and raised his hand up in surrender to the President as he wished he was the President. He admired the man, but sometimes he wished he had a little more guts to do more than what the people thought.

A short pause filled the room as the President thought of what to say to C.J, "Tell the GDC resents the implication he has turned his back on the environment. Tell them that he'll pass the bill through but with a ten percent reduction. With a sixty-three job approval I don't need their support getting a bill passed." He looked around the room for a reaction finding none he looked at his watch and asked C.J, "Where's Edmund?"

"Could you please call in Mr. Hurst?" C.J. asked Mrs. Reynolds through an intercom. On the other end you could hear and "Arrrrrrggggh! Help!" C.J chuckled to himself as he said, "Never mind."

Edmund Hurst with his chestnut hair and green eyes steps into the office saying his hellos and giving his apologies for being late, "They keep moving that plant on me. Can't you fix it?" He says to the President.

Darcy raises his eyebrows as if to say let's get onto business and starts out, "First of all I want to give congratulations to everyone, according to Hurst here 63 percent of registered voters think we are doing a good job."

Hurst laughs and says to the president, "Wait.... you wanted me to poll registered voters?"

Everyone in the room laughs with Hurst. As the people sit around in a circle, the knights of the Democratic President, they listen intently. They have grow close together these past three years and all of them know their weakness and strengths. However, no matter what they are a team with one mission in mind: To get the president re-elected.

The President speaks up again and he is all business with his curly brown hair and his brown eyes take a tone of seriousness," But the poll tells us what we already knew that if we don't get the Crime Bill passed these numbers are going to be a very distant memory. So, starting today we are gunning the engines for the Crime Bill."

He takes a brief pause here while Anne speaks up and focuses her dark midnight blue eyes upon the president, "So do you want me tell my press corps that gun control--"

"Crime control," C.J. interrupts her before the President can. "Gun control means we are wimps and we are soft on crime."

While Anne nods and jots this down in her folder, Richard speaks up with an unhappy look on his face, "Wait, we are not--"

C.J. looks at Richard as if to stop him because he doesn't anymore trouble or stress in the day and he knows exactly what he is going to say, "Richard--"

Richard ignores C. J. and continues on, "You mean we are not putting back the handgun restrictions?"

President looks at Richard with a gruff and sharp look on his face, "No, we are leaving them out." He lifts his eyebrows challenging Richard once again.

"But sir," Richard sighs and pleads to him. "We campaigned on this issue. I understand we took them out when we were in the low thirties but now...let's take this 63 out for a spin."

President Darcy looks hard at Richard and tries to maintain his temper, but somehow can't, "We can't take it out for a spin. We have to have it to get reelected."

C.J. tries to avoid a major confrontation between the President and his chief domestic advisor. Both were extremely tense and ambitious men. C.J. could definitely see Richard trying to run for the presidency himself someday. Richard was an extreme asset to the Darcy administration, however there were times like this when he just did not get along with the president. He turned to Anne and Edmund and stated to the former, "Anne, you can notify the press at the briefing that the crime bill is priority one on the President's domestic agenda."

"Got it," Anne nodded her raven head as her blue eyes flashed back at him in acknowledgement.

"And Edmund, you are going to run the war room. We are going to need detailed projections on all the target districts at he end of the week," C. J turned to Edmund and commanded then suddenly grinned at him with his hazel eyes, "And don't be the nice, sweet guy from Kansas on this one. Do what the NRA does."

"What?" Edmund grinned as he asked innocently knowing that C.J. was more of a softie than he was, "Scare the heck out of them?"

"Yeah," C.J. grinned back at the pollster.

"I can do that," his green eyes glittered.

"And Richard," C.J. turned to the sullen man with auburn hair who sat like a little kid pouting because he didn't get his lollipop. "We want you to be the legislative liaison on this. We want you to run the show from the hill."

Richard nodded and wrote this down, but then hesitated and added aloud unable to drop the subject, "Can I just say that it might be easier to fight a war on drugs if we weren't arming drug dealers?"

With this comment, President Darcy finally lost his temper with the red-haired man and said to him sharply, "We have to fight the fights we can win, Richard." While emphasis on the word win.

"Yes, sir," Richard responded unhappily while muttering under his breath.

President Darcy stands up and this is a silent order that the meeting is over for them, "Eighteen votes in 72 days by the State of the Union. Thank you, everyone. What's next, Abby?"

"Thank you, Mr. President," says C.J. ushering everyone out and trying to make Richard calm down at the same time.

As everyone is out of the door Abby says to the President, "Security briefing, sir."

And outside of the door Richard is saying to C.J., "I can't believe him. What has happened to him? Has he lost his lack of passion? Has he become like every single one of those other politicians that disgusts me."

C.J. sighs and moves a hand through his hair, "Calm down, Richard you are just angry right now. Take a moment, breathe. That's your problem you don't breathe."

Richard starts down the hall to his office and turns back to C.J. and says, "Who's got time to breathe when there is work to be done. Washington, the city that never breathes."

Part One, Section Two-Part A

Posted on Wednesday, 15 November 2000

Author's Note: (As I don't want to get into any trouble with anyone for using The American President story-line or whatever else, I would like to say the original script from the movie was written by Aaron Sorkin. And, please don't bother to sue me if you want money for taking some of the lines. I'm a college student=poor, no money and no money to share. What money I have it's going to Kansas State to pay for my bills. Anyways, I would like to add even though, I'm staying with some of the American President storyline I will be adding some scenes of my own. Now, I hope that's cleared up and no one will sue me. Remember, sue me= no money.)

"Bingley," whispered an office-lackey looking at the dark-haired, dark-eyed woman who wore a pale orange business suit. "Isn't she..?"

"Yep," sighed the other office-lackey that was walking beside her showing her around the office. "You'd never know it, would you, eh?" The male office-lackey smiled at the dark curly-haired woman with dazzling deep brown eyes. "So, are you working here?"

"Yes, but that's between you and I," whispered the woman back to him. "It's under tight wraps until it gets announced."

"Just between you and I," the man turned back to the woman with a smile as he watched Lucas's secretary heading towards Bingley. "A new person is supposed to replace Bingley as the closer. Whoever she is, Bingley is going to hate her and then we'll watch the sparks fly. It should be entertaining." He smiled to himself as he showed he around the offices. He watched Bingley enter Lucas's office. "And, that is Lucas's office." He pointed in the direction towards it. "Remember, when delivering his coffee he likes it black with one spoon of sugar."

The woman raised her eyebrows, "Oh, really. Is he very particular?" She grinned to herself as she awaited his answer.

"Yeah," the lackey took a cup and started filling it with water. "But, I imagine whoever is replacing Bingley will be a total jerk. If they got to replace Bingley to set Darcy to care about the GDC they've got to hire someone worse than Bingley."

The dark-haired woman laughed inside, but asked innocently. "When do they start?"

"I'm not sure," the man said thoughtfully looking at her, and put his drink down. "But, her name is Elizabeth Anne Bennet." He stopped talking as he took a breath as they stopped walking around the office. "Well, do you think you can find yourself around here?"

The woman looked around and smiled, "I think I can." She stood up and grabbed her briefcase and grinned as she held out her hand to shake his. "Nice meeting you, Mr. Collins."

"It was my pleasure, Ms..?" he sighed and tried to remember as she slowly walked out of his sight. "What was your name again?" he called after her.

She turned back and her dark curls whipped around as she said, "Bennet. Elizabeth Anne Bennet." And, as she walked off she discreetly wiped her hand with a handkerchief she had in her coat pocket.

As Caroline Bingley entered into the GDC's main office she huffed from being taken away from her precious work. As a lobbyist to the GDC she could type 135 words per minute and she averaged working in the office 60 hours a week. It wasn't because she cared enormously about the environment, though. She was just trying to build herself up the ladder, and hopefully catch someone's attention so she could end up in the White House. As she walks into the office, a grey-haired man with deep blue eyes turns around to face her. He signals for her to sit down as he ends the conversation.

"Yes...yes...I completely understand... well, I get back to you on that...okay.. bye," he says as he hangs up the phone and then turns to her as he picks up a letter. The letter that was sent to C.J. Bingley and President Darcy.

"That was C. J. Bingley," he informed her as she started to talk. "No, I am talking first. May I ask, what is the meaning of this?" He slammed the letter down on the desk in front of her face.

"Did the president read it?" Caroline spoke up anxiously, hopeful of a good reply. Then when she looked at William Lucas's face she decided that was an unfair request out of him. He looked very unhappy with his blue eyes shooting needles at her.

"The President's pissed as hell," Lucas said bluntly to her not caring how she reacted. "This is a guy who needed us three years ago, Bingley. He's extremely popular now and doesn't give a damn what we stand by!" He sighs at he looks at her exasperated. "Don't you see that if the President passes the most important environmental legislation in history and we don't support it our political weight will rank somewhere near Spotted Owl Society." He closes his eyes and then looks at her straight in the eye. He hated demoting anyone down, even if it was Bingley, but she just wasn't working. "I'm bring in some help."

"Who?" Caroline stood up defensively glaring back at her boss. She couldn't believe she was doing this to her.

"Elizabeth Anne Bennet."

"Oh, Bill! She doesn't know the first thing about the environmental lobby," she bit out sharply. "What is she some blonde ditz that looks good or something? Trying to catch some votes from Congress that way? I can't believe you'd resort to that!"
"Look, Bingley," he stated firmly. "She's a closer." He sighed as he saw Bingley trying to walk out of the door in a huff. "Remember Bingley, be nice to her. Being resentful over something never helps anything."

Bingley mumbled under her breath as she walked out of the door and Bill Lucas shook his head. He could of sworn he heard her say "Be nice to Elizabeth B****t my butt..." Or something to that effect. And as she left he pulled out his dartboard with an unnamed face on it and started playing again.

"You might want to lose that, sir," the red-haired man stated politely looking at the speech. "It makes it look too crowded and plus, it's redundant."

President Darcy looked at the speech and spoke the few words out aloud, "In this great society, we have to force ourselves to think for the future and not make others think for us. America is a place for freedom of speech; freedom to choose our own lives. Each day we make the decision to do so as we raise and teach our children today. I thank you, the educators of our society, for giving something that I cannot be able to give a child everyday; the freedom to learn. As we learn more and as our children learn more each day, we are not maintaining a perfect society, but we are moving towards a better one." He looked up from the paragraph. "What's wrong with it? I like it."

Richard grinned at him, "You would. It was the part that you actually wrote." He picked up his pen again. "You are still over the time limit. Would you rather I get rid of something else?"

"Yes," he said as he gave the speech back to Richard and as he did he looked up and saw Anne.

"David Sasser from the Times called and wanted to know what the White House felt was a great society," She said as she approached the President's desk.

"What did you say?" Asked the President with a smile twisting around his face.

"I told him I could speak for the President, but for my money the Bahamas," she lifted her midnight blue eyes and flipped her raven hair around.

"Perfecto," he made an okay sign with his hand and smiled at her as he settled back more comfortably in his chair. He looks up as Abby enters the room.

"Mr. President, your cousin Catherine has come down with a cold and won't be able to join you Thursday night," she said somewhat apologetically. Then immediately opened her agenda because she knew what the President was going to say.

"Remind me to give her a call," he said to Abby.

Richard cleared his throat and mumbled, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

The President heard him and glared at him, but mumbled back. "When she's sick her claws aren't sticking out."

"Yes, sir," Abby said promptly and shut her agenda as she had already written it down.

"You're going stag?" Anne asked him in astonishment.

The President looked at another memo sitting on his desk as he said smoothly, "No, it's not a problem. I've done it before."

"Yeah," she scoffed, but not realizing she is saying this aloud. "You've never gone wrong parading around as the lonely widower." There is an sudden silence in the office as Anne realized what she has just said. "I can't believe I just said that. Mr. President, that was a completely thoughtless remark. I would never dream of insulting you or the memory of your wife."

The President looks down and taps his pen on the desk three times and sighs as he looks up and says to Anne, "Don't worry about it." He stands up and turns to Abby and says, "I'm going to see Georgie."

"Mr. President you have the trade rep at 4:00 and the attorney general at 4:30, and then you promise NRA about five minutes."

"Don't worry," the President says to Abby. "I'll make it back on time." He starts to walk out of the room when Anne calls after him.

"Mr. President--"

He turns around slowly to meet his brown eyes with her midnight blue ones and says softly. "Don't worry about it, Anne." And he walks into the private residence.

Anne turns to Richard with a stunned look on her face, "Rich...what was I thinking?"

"Anne?" he puts his arm on her shoulder. "Are you okay? He said don't worry about it. I know he knows you didn't mean it."

She looks down and says, "I don't know what is wrong with me. I can't believe..."

Richard walks with her out of the Oval Office and smiles back at her with his boyish grin, "How 'bout you me, and a couple of Scotches? That should cheer you up."

"Are you buying?" Anne tries to crack a smile. " 'Cause you are not going to be a cheapskate with me again, are you?"

"Of course I am," he grins back at her and discreetly crosses his fingers as they walk to the bars.

Posted on Wednesday, 29 November 2000

"Bottoms up, dearie," Richard Fitzwilliam grinned at the press secretary to the President and waved over to the bartender. "Your glass is looking quite lonely, dear."

She rolled her dark midnight eyes at him while retorting, "How considerate of you. What a man you are."

He drank his Scotch and answered back to her, "I try, my dear. I certainly try." He grabbed her hand when he saw her get a bit tipsy. "I think we have had enough. You are looking a bit uneasy, dear."

"Why do you have to be such a gentleman?" She asked as she rose from her chair and followed him. "I-I mean.. if you were like this all the time, Rich...," her voice trailed off and she looked at him with such innocence that he was taken aback for once.

"My dear Anne," he sighed as he put his coat around her shoulders because she didn't have one. "Enemies we are, friends maybe, colleagues always, but lovers...never."

"Why?" she asked as they walked through the doors of the bar.

"Because.." he brushed her raven black hair away from her face and smiled down at her. "Because I care, my dear."

As they walked out onto the sidewalk he helped her hail a taxi and leave. He smiled to himself wisely and said to himself, "But, you will forget all this by morning, believe me." Then he turned and walked back to the office where he would not leave again until two in the morning correcting the President's speech and starting on many other projects which lay in his agenda.

Knock. Knock. The President of the United States hit twice on his thirteen-year-old daughter's door while the tunes of Every-Good-Boy-Does-Fine could be heard outside of the room. He stepped into the room and saw his daughter moving her bow while scrunching up her face in concentration. As soon as she hears him enter the room she stops playing and looks at him expectantly.

"No, no- don't stop playing on account of me," he smiled as he took a seat in a chair. "It sounds good. What is it?"

This brings a smile to the girl's face as she says to him, "Scales, dad."

"Oh....well..uh..You play with rhythm!" He fumbled with his words as he saw her pick up rosin and apply it to the bow.

"Dad, are my fingers calloused?" she asked while holding her small fingers towards him.

He picked up her hand and peered at them carefully while asking, "Are they supposed to be, Georgie?"

"Yeah," she said shortly while putting her violin down.

"Well," he grinned at his daughter. "I think you are doing just fine, darling."

Georgiana peered at him closely as she saw he was trying to shift something for behind his back, she brushed her blonde hair back as she grinned at him and asked, "Whatcha got behind your back?"

He fingered the gift with a smile and lifted his eyebrows, "A little gift I picked up. Guess what it is."

"Hmm..," she bit her lip as she thought carefully and smiled to herself. "A DVD player with a collection of Austen movies?"

The President smiled at his daughter and laughed, "Close, but no cigar." He finally pulls the gift from his back and gives it to her while she wrinkles her nose.

"Is it a really old textbook you are going to have me read cover to cover and drive me crazy with as we discuss it at dinner?" She asked knowing that everything she said was the truth.

"Well..." he hesitated, then sighed reluctantly. "I'm not really comfortable with the really old part, but everything else is true."

She finally allowed herself to look at the book with distaste, "Understanding the Constitution...oh, I psyched."

"Your social studies teacher said you were starting on the Constitution this week," he explained the reasoning for the book.

She opened her blue eyes wide and said in shock, "You talked with Mr. Anderson?"

"Yes, my darling. It's calling a Parent-Teacher conference where Mr. Anderson and I are the key players of the discussion," he chuckled at his disbelief, and then asked with some concern. "Why don't you like social studies, Georgie?"

"I like it fine, dad," she mumbled while slouching back in her chair trying desperately to avoid his question.

But, he had other ideas about the subject. "Other teachers say you are enthusiastic always got your hand up in discussions while Mr. Anderson says he has to call on you and even then it's a one-word answer."

She bowed her blonde head into her lap and looked into her hands, "I don't know dad. I don't know what to say. It's just that I'm not..." she broke off her thought pushing it away because she knew how much it would hurt him. She was going to say - I'm not like you, dad. "I don't know."

However, he just wouldn't drop the subject. His deep brown eyes looked into her blue ones, "Just take a look at this book. It's exciting stuff. Read the first page."

"Property of Rushmore Junior High," she read to him smiling with the smile reaching to her eyes once again.

"No," he chuckled to himself. "The next page, sweetheart."

She turned the next page and started out, "We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union.."

"See!" He exclaimed gleefully interrupting her. "A real page-turner."

"I can't wait," she stated sarcastically while shutting the book once again.

"Good," he smiled as he got up from the chair. "It's a possibility that it will come up at dinner tonight."

She rolled her eyes at her father and said wryly, "Do you see it as part of your job to torture me?"

"Nope," he kissed her forehead and made his way out. "It's just one of the perks. See you tonight, sweetheart."

She rolled her eyes once again and picked up her bow and started playing "Hail to the Chief" while her father stopped by the doorway and turns his head and shoots Georgiana a look while rolling his eyes. "She may look like her mother, but she acts like me," he said to himself as he made his way back to his work.

"Liz," she grinned at her with her grey eyes which could be very deceiving to most people who met her for most thought that people with grey eyes were moody and unkind when Jane Bennet had a happy disposition. "Milk! You drank all the milk!" She held the empty half-liter in front of her sister's face.

"Did not!" She claimed while hiding the milk and cookies behind her. "What makes you think that?" Elizabeth Bennet asked with cookies flying out of her mouth.

Jane laughed at her and smiled, "Go get it, ahora chica!"

Elizabeth arched her eyebrows, "Pero, yo estoy muy cansado mi hermana. Va comprar para mi. Por favor!"

Jane rolled her eyes and sighed as she picked up a pillow, "No, you now!" She hit her on the head. "Va chica! Va!"

Elizabeth grabbed her keys and turned to her and grinned while retorting, "I didn't know my sister was so violent. What happened to you?"

Her only answer before she shut the door was a pillow flying in her direction.

"The C-STAD hardware's been in place for a month. We've got 22 instructors from the Army Air Defense School waiting to go down and train the Israelis," the Defense Secretary said to the President as they were about to finish the meeting.

Everyone sat in a circle and the President in the middle of it like the knights in King Arthur's court protecting America from destruction. However, the President looked mostly bored with the discussion. It had been, after all, a long day.

"How soon can you deploy them?" C.J. asked for the President for he knew that was the next question out of his mouth.

We can airlift 'em in the morning," The stern man in his green army suit with lots of medal on it replied who went by the name of General Denney. They'll have C-STAD operational in 20 days.

C.J. wrote this down and looked back up again and asked, "Any security concerns?"

Denney spoke up again and said matter-of-factly, "If anybody wanted to hit it, they'd have hit it by now."

The President stood up indicating an end to the discussion, "Well, let's move on it. Good night, gentlemen." The room echoes in "Good night, Mr. President" as he and C.J. head out of the room. They pass Mrs. Reynolds and Abby while heading out of the building.

"I'll see you in the morning, Abby," grabbing his briefcase from her.

"Yes, you will," she bit her lip before she gave him the next bit of news. "Georgiana will be staying over a friend's house studying tonight."

"Oh, well," he smiled sadly. "That will be fine. Good evening, Mrs. Reynolds." And then he and C.J make an departure from the building. As they do, C.J finally decides to speak up.

"William Lucas brought in a hired gun at the GDC," he remembered and said thoughtfully.

"Oh, well...it's about time," the President replied lost in his thoughts.

"She's a lawyer from Virginia named Elizabeth Anne Bennet," he smiled at the thought of her. "I know her pretty well. She's had a lot of success getting congressmen elected."

"Well, maybe we should try to steal her," he joked with his chief-of-staff. "Ten percent, A.J. Don't let them leave the room until they are clear about that."

C.J. paused for a moment thinking, "You know, you might stop in and help smooth the way."

The President smiled, "Mention it to Janie. I'll be tough as nails to them. No more Mr. Nice Guy."

C.J. laughed to himself and said, "Good."

"And, then let's clear this off the table and get everybody focused on the crime bill," he said seriously to him. " I don't want to win this. I want to win it by a couple of touchdowns."

"Good deal, sir," C.J. smiled at him. He looks at his watch and realizes the time and is about to leave when President Darcy speaks up again.

"C.J.?" he asked a little softly.

"Yes, sir?" he looked at the President puzzled.

" Listen, Anne said something to me today that I 'm sure she wouldn't have said if she.. I mean, she wasn't say to me, I realize, but..," he sighed to himself not wanting to really talk about this. It was hard for him to even admit something about himself that was blatantly true. He was lonely. "Aw...never mind. Good night, C.J."

"Good night, Mr. President," C.J. said as he started to walk away.

"C.J..." he moved forward to his friend and smiled. "When we are alone, and out of the office, you can call me Wills."

"I beg your pardon, sir?" C.J. said with astonishment on his face.

"You were the best man at my wedding, for crying out loud!" The President insisted. "Call me Wills."

C.J. shook his head and laughed at the President as if he were crazy, "Goodnight, Mr. President."

President Darcy walked away smiling to himself in disbelief, "Goodnight, C.J."

As the President headed into the residence he immediately went to his study and pulled out a picture. Her blond hair as she laughed in the sun brought tears to his eyes. "How like you our daughter looks, my love." He put down the picture and pushed play on his CD player while getting a drink of brandy and sat down on a chair.

"And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart,
High up in the sky, the little stars climb

Always reminding me that we're apart," crooned the player to him.

"Wills," a soft voice smiled at him. "Are you listening to Stardust again?"

"Oh, my darling," he sighed. "How alone I feel without you."

"You wandered down the lane and far away,
Leaving me a song that will not die.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday,
The music of the years gone by."

"It will not always be like this," she smiled at him and looked at his stray of curly hair. "You must move on. Remember what we once had, but don't clench it so tight that you forget life. I love you, and that's why I am letting you go." Then as suddenly, as she appeared she left him.

"Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely night dreaming of a song.
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you,
When our love was new,
And each kiss an inspiration...
But that was long ago."

He smiled to himself as he walked towards the window holding the brandy glass. The song was so true of the feelings in his heart. And sighed as a single tear dropped to his cheek. He said the next two lines from memory to the skies, "Now my consolation Is in the stardust of a song."

Under the same stars appears Elizabeth Anne Bennet heading throwing a path of bushes with roses on them holding her milk and looking up at the stars and smiling and blowing a kiss to the stars, "I don't know why I do this.. always dreaming, aren't I? Goodnight."

She smiles as she departs into her sister's apartment, but before throwing one last look to the sky full of stars.

"When stars are bright,
You are in my arms.
The nightingale tells his fairy tale,
A paradise where roses bloom.
Though I dream in vain.."

President Darcy takes one last glance to the stars before turning away and sipping his brandy and sighs, "Goodnight to you, too." And as the song ends, he smiles to himself and wipes his tears away.

"In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody,
The memory of love's refrain."

*Stardust is sung by Nat King Cole
Spanish translations: Jane- Go get it, now girl! Liz-But, I am very tired, my sister. Go buy it for me. Please! Jane-Go girl! Go!

Chapter Two - End of Part A

Posted on Tuesday, 5 December 2000

He sat in his office at approximately four o' clock in the morning typing tediously at his computer and then he sighed and decided to take a break conducting his favorite activity in the morning; waking up Anne. He picked up the phone with a devilish glint in his eye and dialed. He listened intently on the phone as it passed through six rings. He furrowed his face and wondered where she could be, after all she never got up this early.

"Boo!" some one yelled as he jumped in the air in fright. The person laughed and put the phone down for him. "Serves you right. How dare you wake me up this early, Rich? Are you trying to kill me?"

"How'd you know?" He looked at her in amazed astonishment looking up in her laughing blue eyes as he tried to calm himself down.

"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes. "It is no secret that you make it a daily ritual tormenting me in the morning." She sat down next to him and smiled evilly. "Better luck next time, chump."

"You are so evil, dear," he admired her smile and then looked away when she looked back at him.

"I know," she stretched her arms. "I try, but it's so hard to surpass your evilness."

"Oh, hush," he ruffled her perfect hair and then looked at his artwork. "That's what you get for scaring me."

"Oh, yeah," she leaned forward to grab his coat off the back of his chair. "Look at me everyone, I'm Rich Fitzwilliam. Kiss my feet, I am the man! Mr. President, you weren't perfect, once again. Unlike me because I am so perfect."

"Hey," I protested and grabbed my coat back. "I don't act like that. I don't say that."

"Ah," she smiled back at me. " But, everybody knows you are thinking it."

I folded my arms and said and a demure feminine voice, "Oh, I'm Anne de Bourgh. I am so good-looking. Kiss me baby. Because I'm such a suck-up. Kiss me or I'll kiss up to you. Kiss me!"

"Well, why don't you, Anne?" a male voice asked as he entered the room. "Rich here is begging to be kissed.

My jaw and her jaw dropped as Edmund Hurst entered the room with his green eyes glittering in amusement while he added chuckling, "End the poor guy's misery, and judging by your reaction...I don't think you'd mind." With that he grabbed the papers that he had printing in the room and walked out saluting us.

"How about it, dear?" He gently touched her face and leaned forward and took in the breathtaking glance of her blue eyes and smiled.

She looked at him questioningly and smiled, "Why, Rich?"

"Anne," he sighed as he leaned in closer to her. "You have to know that every time I look at you I'm astonish. You are like no other woman, frankly dear, I-"

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

He shook himself out of his dream and grabbed the phone and groggily answered, "Hello?"

"Rich, are you sleeping on the job?" a voice came over the line.

"Yes," while he started typing again nonchalantly. "Did you want to go over the speech I'm writing for the crime bill, Anne?"

"Of course," she said crisply. "I'll be right down. Goodbye."

He sighed and brushed back his auburn hair and leaned back in his chair and whispered, "It was only a dream."

Chapter 2 - Part A

Posted on Wednesday, 13 December 2000

Anne de Bourgh decided she needed to talk to Edmund Hurst in the division between the War Room, in other words, his office. But, once entering his office she was taken aback in shock at seeing the brown-haired man with glittering emerald eyes dancing to the music while typing and singing to himself.

"Doesn't take much to make me happy
And make me smile with glee
Never, never will I feel discouraged
'Cause our love is no mystery.
Demonstrating love and affection
That you give so openly
I like the way you make me feel about you, baby
And I want the whole wide world to see
You've got the best of my love ..."

At this point laughing so hard with tears dripping out of her eyes, she decided to shut off the radio for him. "Now, Edmund," she reprimanded him tapping her foot like a schoolmarm. "Do you think this is what you should be doing?"

He turned his head and grinned at her with his terrific debonair smile and replied to her, "Oh dear Anne, aren't there times you are just tempted to get your groove on with The Emotions?" He bit his lip and laughed at her. "Poor girl. You should really try it sometime. There is nothing like dancing in the morning. It wakes me up," then he smiled mischievously to her and sang, "And makes me smile with glee."

Poor Anne just stood there with her mouth wide open laughing at him grinning, "You, Edmund, are impossible!" She bit her pen and sat down in a chair. "I do have something to talk to you about concerning the President if you can get yourself in a business-related mind."

Edmund smiled and sat back down with and opened his folder with his work completed, "Before we do talk about business, Anne, may I suggest that you loosen up a bit? You and Rich are just too rigid. It is always about work and no fun."

Anne smiled weakly at him, "Well, Edmund for the past three years that's all it has been about--work. Why do you expect anything less? You haven't exactly been the socialite either."

"Ouch," he smiled to her as he grabbed his glasses and put them on. "Are you bringing up my current bachelor status again, dear? For this topic should not ever be approached for it disheartens me to think you would wound me to the heart about this."

"Edmund," she drummed on his desk. "Are we here to talk about relationships or business?"

"Well," Edmund calmly replied. "Business, I suppose. For I am not interested in a romantic relationship with you, dear." Although, someone else in the White House quarters is, Edmund thought. Though, he'd die before he would admit it. "But," he stopped with a softer tone, "I am always willing to be you friend."

Anne stared at him for a moment before looking down at her paper and whispered, "Thank you, Edmund. I would want nothing more." Then she gathered her composure and said to him in a business-like tone. "I would like you to form a poll on the ages 18-29 we need to see how the people feel about the President within these age groups. Voting for them tends to be lower and my staff wants to generate a way to reach them more closely."

Edmund settled back more comfortably and looked into her midnight blue eyes and said, "Of course." But, even though she was giving him advice he was already doing at this very moment he listen to her with patience and sincerity. At this moment, he was thinking about the person in front of him and another one whom he knew was in his office typing furiously on his computer. The one person who liked waking up people in the morning to torment them and the one person who loved to be tormented though would never admit it.

Elizabeth Anne Bennet stood in front of the White House gate and smiled nervously beside her new colleague Caroline Bingley. The contrast between the two was quite evident while Elizabeth wore a green business suit that displayed the greenish tint in her hazel eyes which made her look quite attractive, Caroline wore an red-orange business suit which could have blinded anyone. Elizabeth Anne Bennet looked at the guard and smiled and said, " Hi, my name is Elizabeth Anne Bennet."

Caroline rolled her eyes to herself at Elizabeth's friendliness and thought amateur and said sharply, "He just needs your driver's license." Then she handed the guard her license and awaited for herself to be cleared.

But, poor Elizabeth would just let up from this friendliness as she handed the guard her license, "I'm from Virginia."

Caroline sighed exasperated. Was this woman going to give out every single detail of her life? Next, we'll her a minute-by-minute detailed story of how she was born. "Elizabeth," she said a little more sharper. "He doesn't care."

Elizabeth smiled at the guard completely ignoring Caroline as she handed him her purse for him to check. "I'm here for a meeting with Mr. Bingley." She turned to Caroline slyly acknowledging her for once, "Hey, that's your brother, isn't it?"

Caroline sighed exasperated at her, "Yes, that puny little man who holds the position of Chief of Staff is my brother, though at times I do not wish to acknowledge that fact. And another thing, he doesn't need to know what we are here for."

Elizabeth bit her lip and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm just a little excited. This is my first time at the White House. I'm just trying to savor the Capra-esque quality."

The guard looked at Caroline with a sharp look that demonstrated he didn't care much for her and then smiled at Elizabeth, "Of course, I do. Frank Capra, great American director-- It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith goes to Washington." He stops stalking for a minute to hand them their lamented passes and throws Elizabeth a huge and reassuring smile. "Elizabeth Anne Bennet of Virginia knock 'em dead."

Elizabeth throws him a smile that just pours of friendliness and excitement, "Thanks."

And then the two women walked into the White House to conduct their meeting with C.J. Bingley.

In the Oval Office a meeting between the Education Secretary, the Hud Secretary, and several aides is reaching a conclusion the President walks them to the door and states to the people who are awaiting an exit, " The day the government starts subsidizing private schools is the day we give up on public education."

The Education Secretary taps her pen to her folder and replies, "I know the proposal only scratches the surface, but it's the least we can do."

The President sighs and says to her, "We are already doing the least we can do, but I can't think of anything better, so we'll go with this now." He smiles to her as she leaves the room and the Hud Secretary approaches him. The President moves forward to shake his hand and says to him, "Jerry, say hello to Linda for me. And if I don't see you again, have a good Thanksgiving."

The secretary smiles at his sincerity and states, "Thank you, Mr. President." Then the room is left empty other than the presence of the President and Miss Annesley who is arranging papers on the President's desk.

The President walks over to her and smiles as he asks, "How are we doing, Abby?"

Abby looks up as she replies and pours more coffee into his cup at the same time, "You're running four minutes ahead of schedule."

"Ahead?" The President asks in happy astonishment.

"Yes, sir," smiling to herself about the President's reaction to her reply.

"Abby," The President scratches his head thoughtfully. "This is unprecedented. I don't know what to do with myself."

Abby bit her lip and smiled as she remembered, "Mr. Bingley asked me to remind you to pop your head in on--" She started to suggest before the President interrupted her.

"Oh, yes," The President replied while heading out of the room. "The GDC meeting. Right." Abby shook her head to herself as the President headed into C.J. Bingley's office.

Inside C.J. Bingley's room he looked at the two women that were sitting on the side of him. One was his sister, and he didn't even have to look towards her face to know her reaction. It would be angry and gradually looking it's temper. Right about now her face would be turning a red to match her red-orange outfit. The other woman who he was more concerned about was the GDC's new hired gun; Elizabeth Anne Bennet. Instead, of exploding as he thought she would she sat there with a gentle patience and great ear. A quality all Bennets seemed to have, C.J. remarked ruefully to himself. He sighed and spoke up again, "Your concerns are not falling on deaf ears. The environmental lobby has known no greater ally in the White House than President Shepard."

To C.J.'s great surprise he heard Elizabeth chuckle to herself, "Hardly an impressive distinction, C.J."

Although, Caroline secretly wants to punch her brother out now she tries to avert the inevitable of Elizabeth doing it for her. "Elizabeth, we should leave Mr. Bingley alone now. He's already given us more time than--"

"Caroline," Elizabeth interrupted her throwing C.J. a sharp glare. "Mr. Bingley doesn't want us to leave, because Mr. Bingley's not yet done what he needs to do today."

C.J.'s heart secretly sunk for this woman knew the White House mind than most people were unwilling to give her the credit for.

"Sir, Ms. Bennet's been thrown into the deep end of the pool on her first day. She hasn't even had a chance to read the report on the Quebec Conference."

Elizabeth's brain at this point in time is telling her to slam on the brakes, check her swing, and smile and leave the building. Instead, in attempt to show everyone in this office that she means business decides to hit the gas and swing away. "You're right. I haven't read it. If someone asked me yesterday, I'd have told them the Quebec Conference was made up of six professional hockey teams."

Polite chuckles go around the room as Elizabeth continues and shuts her folder and talks more seriously, "But what I know is that it's time for the President to run for president again. Edmund Hurst is as good as it gets when it comes to electoral strategy, and I'm certain he's told the President exactly what I'd tell him: Nail down Michigan and California, where they make cares and airplanes--and burn plenty of fossil fuel. But if I had read these eight hundred pages, I would have discovered that it's the burning of fossil fuels that's been mostly responsible for global warming and that the 20 percent reduction recommended by the GDC is a necessary first step toward arresting the catastrophic greenhouse effect that has gone unchecked by this administration..."

Caroline half-way stands up and puts her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, "Elizabeth I really think it's time to--"

Elizabeth cuts her off and looks sharply at C.J., "Caroline, I promise you, the White House Chief of Staff will not let us leave until he's broken the bad news."

C.J. bites his lip and laughs to himself and looks at Elizabeth in admiration, "I'm afraid Elizabeth's right. Although, not about Michigan and California. The President has asked me to convey to you that he's sending his energy bill to the floor with a call for a reduction of 10 percent."

An uncomfortable silence penetrates the room and C.J. closes his eyes and adds, "The President is willing to go it alone on this, but he's asking for and frankly he's expecting, the full support of the GDC."

Elizabeth's eyes sparked with spirit and she said with extreme outrage, "The President's expecting our full support?"

C.J. responded in the same manner almost losing his own easy temper, "Yes, he is."

Elizabeth pursed her lips as she snapped sarcastically, "The President's dreamin', C.J."

"Elizabeth!" Caroline hushed her.

"The President has critically misjudged reality," Elizabeth leaned forward continuing on, ignoring Caroline. "If he honestly thinks that the environmental community is going to whistle a happy tune while rally support around this--"

At this point, oblivious to Elizabeth, President Darcy himself decided to join in on this discussion. C.J. looked up and caught his eye smiling and wondered if he should let Elizabeth on this little tidbit of information, but the President knowing what his friend was thinking waved the discussion on listening to her with extreme interest.

"Pitifully lame mockery of environmental leadership just because he's a nice guy and he's done better than he's predecessors, then your boss is the Chief Executive of Fantasyland!" Elizabeth proclaimed furiously with a brilliant fire coming out of her eyes, a fire that the President didn't think was unattractive at all.

"Let's take him out back and beat the crap out of him," the President proclaimed with laughter in his deep brown eyes.

Elizabeth Anne Bennet turned her head of brown curls around to meet the President of the United States, and at the moment she did she wished that she could melt away from the scene of the crime. She sighed to herself and closed her eyes and wished herself away as the President made his way to C.J.'s side.

"Good morning, Mr. President," C.J. said cheerfully wanting desperately to laugh at the expression on Elizabeth's face. "How are you this morning?" Someone had finally put Ms. Bennet in her place. It was about time, and the beauty was it was the President.

"Couldn't be better," the President said just as cheerfully to C.J. "I apologize for the interruption, but C.J. asked me to stop and say hello." He looked toward Elizabeth and met her deep brown eyes that looked at the desk. "You wouldn't be Elizabeth Anne Bennet, by any chance, would you?"

"Mr. President," she hesitated nervously, fumbling with her words. "I'm...I don't know what to say. I'm speechless."

At this point, the President could help grinning at her, "All evidence to the contrary." He thought for a minute to himself, how to get her to show that spirit again...

"Mr. President, we haven't met," Caroline moved toward him. "My name is Caroline Bingley. I used to work with Congressman Elliot. I hope this episode in no way--"

"Elizabeth?" The President asked, completely ignoring Caroline. Elizabeth. How different she was.

"Yes, sir?" she met his eyes finally.

"You got a second?" he approached her.

She sighed and said quietly expecting a reprimand, "Of course."

The President touches her arm to escort her out of the door, "Follow me, okay?" He says this very warmly and kindly, but Elizabeth is still intimated. "I thought that we might have a word in private. Someplace a little less intimidating."

Elizabeth nods to him and says quietly, "Of course, sir."

The President smiles and calls out for his personal assistant. "Abby?"

Out of nowhere she appears at his side and asks, "Yes, sir?"

"This is my personal assistant, Abby Annesley," The President says to Elizabeth. "Abby, would you show Ms. Bennet into the rec room. I'll be there in a second."

While Elizabeth watches him disappear into one of the many doors in the White House, Abby nudges her smiling, "This way..."

And, then to Elizabeth's complete surprise Abby leads her into the Oval Office. Elizabeth opens her brown eyes wide and looks around uncomfortably. This is the place where the JFK desk is at, the Seal of the President of the United States, the bust of Lincoln, so many historical things have happened in this room that Elizabeth just looks around in awe. Then realizes the reason she is in here in overwhelming gloom. She is in trouble with the President.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he says to her entering the room in stride. The effect of the room no longer bothers him like it bothers her.

"Mr. President--" She starts out immediately apologetic.

President Darcy put some papers on his desk and then turns to her and asks," Is it okay if I call you Elizabeth?"

She hesitates for a second then covers it by saying immediately, " Of course. Mr. President--"

He interrupts her once again and looks into her nervous eyes. He doesn't want to talk to her until she's not nervous, " Have you ever been in the Oval Office?"

Elizabeth looks around at the room and then finally meets his eyes, " I've just been on the regular tour. It didn't include..."

President Darcy puts down his pen then moves towards her, " I hear it's pretty good."

Elizabeth sighs and starts to make her apology speech. How would it look if she went back to William Lucas and told him that the President didn't want to negotiate with the GDC because of her? " Mr. President, what you saw in there was nothing more than vanity run amok. I was showing off for a colleague who doesn't think very much of me. It'd be a real injustice for you to hold the GDC accountable for my behavior today. On top of which, I'm monumentally sorry for having insulted you like that."

He looks at her in astonishment and tries to cough down a chuckle that is forming in his throat. "Elizabeth, are you under the impression that I'm mad at you?"

She hesitates looking at him wondering if she should admit the truth, "Well..."

President Darcy sighs and scratches his head, " Elizabeth, seldom does a day go by that I'm not burned in effigy."

"Not by a professional political operative standing 30 feet from the Oval Office," she retorts back to him.

" No, I'll give you that," he laughs to himself and sighs then turns towards her and thoughtfully says, " Did you know that when the City Planners sat down to design Washington, D.C., their intention was to build a city that would intimidate and humble foreign heads of state? It's true.

Elizabeth shook her head bewildered, " I didn't know that."

He looked at her almost apologetically, " The White House has the single greatest home court advantage in the modern world."

She bit her lip and then smiled bitterly, "I learned that one the hard way."

He looked into her eyes and said seriously," Elizabeth, this bill is important to me."

" Yes, sir, I'll convey your message."

He smiled knowing what she really thought about it. "But you don't believe me?"

Just like he thought, she shook her head. " The GDC is asking for 20 percent, sir."

He protested to her making his objection, probably one he has set in his mind, " It's not gonna pass at 20 percent. It's a long shot at 10."

"How do you know that until you put the full weight of the White House behind--," she protested to him sounding much like Rich Fitzwilliam even though she didn't know it.

He gave her a look which silenced her and said to her, "Elizabeth, at 20 percent, we are 34 votes shy in the House. It can't be done." He met her eyes and was overtook by the light in which she stood. Perhaps, it was this that prompted him to suggest, "But I tell you what. I'll make you a deal with you. If you can get 24 votes, I'll get you the last 10."

Elizabeth asked thoughtfully to herself," Twenty-four votes?" She was already strategizing in her mind how to get them.

He smiled at her and nodded as he closed his eyes and committed himself, " If you can swing 24 votes by the State of the Union, I'll promise you full White House support."

Elizabeth widened her eyes at this declaration, "Do I have your word on that, sir?"

"Absolutely," he hesitated as he looked into her eyes unknowingly how to proceed at this manner. " Listen, are you hungry? I skipped breakfast. You wanna have some coffee? A donut or something?"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and looked down at him. Another stereotypical male only doing business to get a date and flashed her eyes brilliantly at him in her anger. " Sir, I'm a little intimidated by my surroundings, and yes, I've gotten off to a rocky and somewhat stilted beginning, but don't let that diminish the weight of my message: The GDC has been at every president for the last decade and a half that global warming is a calamity, the effects of which will be second only to nuclear war. The best scientists in the world have given you every reason to take the GDC seriously. But I'm gonna give you one more. If you don't live up to the deal you just made, come New Hampshire, we're gonna go shopping for a new candidate."

Elizabeth marched over to a door and was about to open it in slam it in her anger. President or no President no one was to make promises to her just for a mere date.

President Darcy smiled to himself ironically and pointed out, " You can't do that, Elizabeth."

She turned around and looked at him with fury in her eyes, " With all due respect, Mr. President, who's gonna stop me?"

The poor President looked as if he were going to burst out laughing, " Well, if you go through that door, the United States Secret Service. That's my private office." He pointed in the direction of the correct door with a grin on his face. "You need to go out that way."

Elizabeth let go of the door handle and exits the room with as much dignity as she can muster. Leaving the poor President with the memory of how brilliant her eyes looked when she was mad at him.

As the two of them were about to step out of the office, Rich leaned forward after great deliberation and picked up his phone, "Hello, how would you feel about me walking you home?"

She looked up from her writing and thought to herself, "I think that would be all right. I'm about finished up here. Did you want me to meet in your office or mine?"

As he walked into her office, carrying his cellular phone he smiled to himself as he suggested to her, "How about mine?"

She grinned at him as she hung up her phone, "Oh, you think you are so funny."

"I don't think, dear," he grinned with his eyes flashing at her with wit. "I know."

She picked up her coat from her chair and was about to put it on when Rich spoke up, "Anne...would you mind if I helped you with that?"

Without a word she smiled and handed him her coat, "Thank you, Rich. That is sweet of you."

"Ah, dear," Rich shook his head. "I think you are falling. You haven't insulted me yet. What is wrong with you?"

As they walked out of the doors into the hallway to the outside doors she grinned at him, "Nothing other than the feeling then the feeling of being the smarter one on this walk. Look at you, Rich. Who dressed you?"

Rich looked down at his clothes and snickered, "What is wrong with them? I think I look quite dashing."

Anne rolled her eyes and mumbled, " Whatever you like to think, conceited little man."

Rich grinned knowing full well what she said and asked, "What was that, dear?"

"Oh, nothing," she mumbled again under her breath. Then for a while a pleasant silence partook between the two colleagues, a sweet one that only those who know each other could enjoy. Anne lifted her eyes to the clouds and her eyes shined as she looked at the sky's dazzling splendor, while Rich thought to himself that he had never seen her look so beautiful as she was right at this moment. He could bear it no longer as he cleared his throat about to speak.

Anne bit her lip and looked at him questioningly, "Yes, Rich?"

"Sometimes, Anne...," he smiled at her hesitating with his brown hair and his auburn hair going into his eyes. "Don't you ever want to do something completely crazy?"

Anne sighed and focused her eyes on him, "Rich...your hair." She leaned forward and moved it out of his eyes. "There," she patted his hair. "That is better, dear."

"Anne," he sighed taking another deep breath walking with her. "You never answered my question."

She lifted her eyes and looked into his face and shifted back and forth hesitantly as if making a decision to herself. Then she looked back into his eyes with some kind of newfound knowledge. She flipped back a strand of her raven hair as she whispered, "You know, I've never understood that term crazy." Then she leaned forward and kissed him as the rain started to pour down in the streets of Washington D.C.

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart

Without a word you can light up the dark

Try as I may I could never explain

What I hear when you don't say a thing

As the two parted from their embrace he looked down at her questioningly with the taste of her kiss on his lips, "Are you sure you want to do this, Anne? I'm not forcing you into something you do not want, am I?"

With her midnight eyes sparkling out at him she softly shook her head and smiled at him in the gentle rain that kept falling down on the two of them as they kept walking down the sidewalk.

The smile on your face let's me know that you need me

There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me whenever I fall

But, you say it best when you say nothing at all.

"You know," Anne whispered to him after a moment. "This is how I always imagined it."

"Really?" he asked her in astonishment. "You could have warned me, dear."

She bit her lip and laughed at him her eyes sparkling with wit once again, "Well, not really. But, it's the proper romantic answer."

"Anne," he stopped in front of her so she could only concentrate on him. "I don't care about what's proper for anyone else, or what anyone else thinks, my dear, all I want is for you...to be you."

"Rich," she stopped in front of her apartment building. "Why do you...?" She sighed and grabbed her umbrella out of her bag. "I completely forgot this." She handed the umbrella to him. "Take care of yourself, would you?"

He sighed and was about to say something else but he caught the expression in her eyes and looked down before looking into her eyes again which told him not to say anything else about this matter, "Of course, dear. Good night, Miss de Bourgh."

As he walked away with a memory of a kiss still lingering on his lips, Anne stood watching him in front of her apartment building with that lingering question on her mind. She sighed and looked at the auburn head making his way into the taxi and smiled ruefully and said softly to herself, "It's Anne, Rich. Always dear Anne. Oh Rich... Why did you have to make me love you?"

And with that she went inside with a million thoughts on her mind, not to mention a wet head.

But, you say it best when you say nothing all.

Posted on Thursday, 18 January 2001

He saw her after getting his coffee in Jazzy's, a coffeehouse-slash-bookstore during his lunch break. He sucked air in just seeing her classic blond hair pulled back, reaching for Ayn Rand's Fountainhead. He knew before he even tapped her shoulder he would hear her voice, and her grey eyes would be hiding from him. He bit his lip though, and spoke to her, "Honestly, I relate to Gail Wynand more than Roark."

She closed her eyes and breathed in carefully so that her voice didn't break when she spoke next, "You would relate to the second-hander, wouldn't you Charles?" A little emphasis on the 'Charles.' It has been told you can know a lot by the way a person speaks someone's name. When she spoke 'Charles' it was falteringly as someone who has spoken it, but wanted to forget the name. "Or is it C.J. now?"

C.J. shrugged as she brushed past him and he followed her, "Jane it has been a long time."

She furrowed her eyebrow and paid the cashier for the book and said sharply to him, "Is that my fault?"

He moved his fingers through his blond hair and folded his arms, "I wanted to be friends, Jane."

"After what we had been?" She asked as she walked out the door. He followed her, careful not to drop his coffee into someone.

He sighed and looked at her as the wind brushed gently through her hair and bit his lip and reached forward to push back her hair, "Sorry, I guess it's an old habit, eh?"

She closed her eyes and swallowed as she looked at him, "It's good to see you, C.J."

"Charles," he corrected her and they walked down the pathway to the White House.

"No, it's C.J.," the reply came sadly from her. "I can't say Charles anymore."

A silence fell between them and he understood what she could not say to him. "You look good, Jane. Then again, you always did."

She stopped in her tracks and looked at him desperately, "How can you act like this was my fault? I-I... No." She shook her head gaining her resolve and asked more evenly, "Why did you...? I mean, I always wondered."

He looked down at the ground and then met her gray eyes for the first time, "You know now, I'm not quite so sure."

She nodded a few times to herself and then abruptly walked again down the path with the wind making gentle swishes to her midnight navy coat. When she spoke again for conversation it sounded forced, "How is your sister?"

C.J. looked at her confused and commented, "How strange it is you would ask about Caroline. You have changed, Jane."

She laughed to herself at his confusion and smiled for once, "No, I meant Louie."

For once, Charles smiled aloud for all to see, "Oh. Louie. She's Louie, I suppose. She is the youngest congressman, er... I mean congresswoman and still maintains that innocence, passion and integrity she had when going into politics." As an afterthought to himself he added softly, "Dad would have been proud of her."

Jane clutched his hand softly and said, "I am sure he is."

He looked into her eyes and whispered, "Thank you."

Another thought crossed Jane's mind as she laughed, "And, Edmund...?"

He knew where she was heading and he laughed, roaring aloud, "Nope, not yet."

"I can't believe it!" Jane exclaimed her eyes dazzling. "He's been talking about it for years and still..."

"Aww," C.J. waved his head letting her hand go. "You know, Edmund....chicken."

Jane bit her lip and smiled while snickering, "Poor silly little boy. A masters in economics and can't say boo."

"But, he begs a lot to her," Charles smiled to himself. "They joke around and are good friends." He finished his sentence as they reached the White House and they both fell silent knowing this was the conclusion.

"That's why, isn't it?"

"What?" C.J. asked abruptly looking at her.

"I mean, you thought I wasn't good enough for it," She looked down and shuffled her feet.

"No," he said hoarsely grabbing her hands. "You were too good for it."

She bit her lip and closed her eyes and asked, "Why am I good enough to be friends but not more?"

He brushed her question aside and asked desperately for he wanted to see her again, "There is a State dinner at the White House. Would you want to go...with me?" He looked at her, the desperation pouring out from his eyes to hers.

"As a friend?" She asked haltingly.

He nodded and his heart sank, as she shook her head no. And she removed her hands from his and explained to him, "Oh Charles. Don't you see we can't be friends for I'll always be wishing for..." She hesitated wondering whether or not to finish the sentence and then decided to. "More." She backed away from him and said sincerely, "It was good seeing you, C.J."

"Yes," he nodded to himself as he watched her slowly walked away.

She turned around to look at him and said softly, "Take of yourself, Charles." And walked towards him to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek and walked away from his sight, and he watched her until he couldn't see her anymore.

"Jane." He whispered her name to himself savoring the name. And then he walked through the White House gates trying to forget the memory and thought of Jane Bingley and return to work once more.

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