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Disclaimers and warnings in Part One
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A good heart is hard to find Part Five
Dan was only half-listening to her father’s endless stream of gossip. He noticed her distracted air, and frowned. ‘Dan, I appreciate your company. I would, however, enjoy it more if you were actually here.’ Dan sighed. ‘Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.’ ‘Work?’ ‘Not exactly.’ ‘Leo?’ Dan shook her head. ‘No. Well, yes. No.’ Eric Evans sat back. ‘Well that’s made that crystal clear.’ ‘Father, Leo…’ Evans pushed his plate away. ‘Dan, there are a dozen ways to finish that sentence. For example, Leo is a recovering alcoholic. Or drug addict. Or divorced. Or a workaholic. Or in love with my daughter.’ ‘I like the last one best.’ Evans sighed. ‘I thought you might.’ ‘I was going to say that Leo is in love with someone else. And I want an unbiased opinion on what to do. But as I couldn’t find anyone I trusted enough, I decided you would have to do. You just have to promise me he will never find out that I told you.’ Evans was suddenly serious. ‘You have my word. Who is this other woman?’ Dan looked away. When she looked back, Evans saw tears in her eyes. ‘The President.’ Evans stared at her. ‘Dan, that joke is in very poor taste.’ Dan’s voice was tight. ‘It’s not a joke.’ Evans got up, walked over to Dan, and put his arms around her. ‘I’m so sorry my darling. Are you sure?’ Dan nodded. ‘Yes. All the senior staff know. Apparently the President got drunk during a poker game and told them all. And this afternoon, one of those people told me. He assumed I knew.’ ‘There is absolutely no possibility whatsoever that this is just gossip?’ Dan shook her head. ‘No.’ ‘You’ll find someone else, Dan.’ Dan looked at her father as he knelt at her side. ‘I don’t want anyone else. I just wanted to tell someone.’ This time Evans was angry. ‘Dan, you can’t stay with a man who sleeps with other men!’ ‘Not other men, father, just the President.’ He couldn’t help the sarcasm. ‘Oh, well, that’s all right then. If it’s only one other man and that man is the President. And you believe him.’ Dan got up. ‘I knew you’d be like this. If you tell either of them I told you, I’ll never speak to you again.’ Evans put a hand on Dan’s arm. ‘Darling, think about this. You’ll never have his heart. Not all of it. And you’ll always be wondering where he is when he’s not with you. Find someone who loves only you. You deserve more than half a relationship.’ Dan shook her head. ‘I can’t. I love him.’ For the first time in a long time Evans raised his voice to his daughter. ‘Dan, if you make your bed, just be sure there’s room for all three of you to lie in it.’ Dan’s hand came up and her father grabbed her wrist. ‘I think you should go home before one of us says something we’ll regret.’ Dan was crying now. ‘Too late, father. You already did.’ ************************ Dan got a taxi back to the White House. She came in hoping no-one would see her. She almost managed to avoid everyone except the Secret Service agents. But as she walked up the stairs, Dan heard Abbey’s voice on the landing. ‘Dan, did you have a nice evening? Leo says you had dinner with your father.’ That was enough. Dan couldn’t stop the tears. Hearing Dan’s name, Leo walked out of the sitting room and Abbey waved him away as she put her arm around Dan, leading her down the corridor and into one of the empty bedrooms, closing the door behind them. Abbey lowered Dan gently onto the bed. ‘What happened?’ ‘I told him your husband and my boyfriend sleep together.’ Abbey went pale. ‘Who told you?’ ‘It doesn’t matter, does it?’ Abbey’s reply was almost a whisper. ‘No.’ Dan said bitterly: ‘How do cope? I was hoping for some tips.’ Abbey sat back, leaning on her hands. ‘I think about the times we’re together, not the times they are.’ Dan’s voice was loud in the quiet room. ‘And are there many of these ‘times’? For them, I mean?’ ‘No. Since you came into Leo’s life, they haven’t…’ So every couple of months then?’ Dan could hear the anger in her own voice. Abbey shrugged. ‘I don’t keep count.’ ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell?’ Abbey nodded. ‘Yeah.’ Dan shook her head. ‘I thought I was going to be all right with this. It turns out I’m not. Tell Leo I’m staying at the Watergate.’ She got up to leave. Abbey held her arm. ‘No. Tell him yourself.’ Dan laughed bitterly. ‘I feel sure he’ll work it out when he sees my clothes gone from the wardrobe.’ Abbey called down the corridor as Dan walked down the stairs. ‘Leo!’ He appeared in the doorway and Abbey walked quickly towards him. ‘Do something, or you’re going to lose the best thing that’s happened to you in a long time.’ Leo looked at Abbey, not understanding. ‘What happened?’ ‘Her father.’ Leo groaned. ‘Dammit!’ Abbey nodded. ‘Go after her. Quickly, Leo.’ Ron stood outside the door to the sitting room. He wondered briefly what could have upset the doctor so much. Usually, he kept out of relationship stuff. But he wouldn’t have minded witnessing the inevitable fight when the Chief of Staff caught up with his girlfriend. ********************** Dan was running down the path outside the West Wing when Leo caught up with her. ‘Dan, wait!’ She spun round as his hand gripped her arm. ‘Get your bloody hands off me! You never get to touch me again!’ Leo was genuinely confused. ‘I thought you were okay…’ Dan couldn’t help it: ‘And I though you were heterosexual. So we were both wrong.’ Suddenly they both heard the sound of Evans’s voice, volume increasing as he closed the distance between them. ‘Dan, get away from that man!’ Almost without thinking, Dan stepped back to lean against Leo’s car. Evans moved closer to Leo, putting himself between Dan and the Chief of Staff. ‘I make it a rule never to interfere in my children’s lives. For you, I’ll make an exception.’ Seeing his anger, Leo backed away from Evans. Just too late. He fell backwards, blood pouring from his nose. Evans’s voice was dangerously quiet. ‘Keep away from my daughter.’ Taking Dan’s hand, Evans began to pull her down the path. Leo struggled to his feet, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to catch the blood which continued to flow from his battered nose. Both men were shocked at Dan’s response. ‘No. I’m not leaving.’ She shook herself free of her father’s grip. Turning back to Leo, she asked: ‘You said you loved me. Did you mean it?’ Slowly, fighting dizziness, Leo nodded. ‘Yeah.’ Dan turned to her father. She smiled, ignoring his obvious anger. ‘Thank you for coming to my rescue.’ Evans wondered if his daughter was having some kind of breakdown. ‘Darling, you can’t stay here. Not with this man. He’s…’ He searched for the right word. Dan found it. ‘Mine. Goodnight, father.’ Slowly, they walked in opposite directions, Dan hoping Leo wasn’t going to faint, Evans distraught at his daughter’s decision. Dan couldn’t help herself. ‘This will be an interesting story to tell our children.’ Leo looked at her. ‘I think my nose is broken.’ ‘I’ll drive you to the ER.’ ************************ Ellie Cunningham agreed with Dan. Leo’s nose wasn’t broken. Just sore. And she had only come down the corridor to ask someone how she organised getting Sam washed. The Agent on the door of the Residence sitting room had told her that as Dr Evans had just come back in, she should ask her. She walked down the stairs as the man she recognised as the Chief of Staff was being lowered into a chair. By the President. Heads turned as she walked slowly into the room. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt…’ Dan sighed. ‘Please tell Leo his nose isn’t broken. He won’t listen to me.’ Ellie felt the bone, ignoring the man’s obvious discomfort. ‘Feels okay to me.’ Dan stood over Leo. ‘See?’ Then she realised Ellie was still there. ‘Is everything all right?’ ‘Oh, I just wanted let everyone know Sam and I would rather not be disturbed for a little while. He hasn’t had a wash for a few days and he’ll feel better for it.’ ‘Right. I’m going to find some ice for your nose, Leo.’ Bartlet called through the half-open door. ‘Ron?’ The tall Agent walked in. ‘Mr President?’ ‘Find someone to stand outside Sam’s room until Mrs Cunningham gives you the all-clear.’ ‘Yes Sir.’ The nurse smiled at Ron, then the President. ‘Thank you, Sir.’ Bartlet nodded. ‘How’s he doing?’ ‘He’s healing well, Sir.’ ‘Good. Leo, will you take that nose into the bathroom!’ Hurt, Leo got up slowly and walked across the room. Bartlet’s irritated voice followed him. ‘And talk to Toby. We’re gonna have to find an excuse for your face tomorrow.’
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