Title: Driven to destruction Part Six   'It's a nice picture, Alexandria.'   Alex sighed as her father sipped the coffee she had made him. The picture of Alex and Leo at the play dominated the front page of the Post.   'Go on. Get it over with. I told you so. I know you're dying to say it.'   'It's a little late for that, Alexandria. Where is your boyfriend, by the way?'   'He's already gone to work. And we saw this about an hour ago.' Alex pointed at a sheet which lay by the side of the fax machine.   'What do you know about this Danny Concannon person?'   'Not much. He's with the Post. And he likes CJ.'   'Who told you that?'   'Leo did.'   'Well, nice though that is, it's not tremendously helpful in the circumstances. I have to go to work. You should talk to this man and make sure he's going to be as nice about you in future articles.'   'Yes father. Oh, and if I'm found dead in a pool of blood, tell the police that Jen O'Brien should be their chief suspect.'   'Very well. But I have to say, Alexandria...'   Alex interrupted him. 'I told you so.'   Marbury was already in the doorway as he replied. 'That was not what I was going to say at all. I was going to say that you should think seriously about your future. Do you really want to be headline news every time the two of you go shopping?'   Alex sighed as she picked up the newspaper and looked at the photograph and the caption underneath. 'White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry attends a charity performance of Romeo and Juliet with Dr Alexandria Jamieson. Full story page three.' Wearily Alex opened the paper and began to read the article.   **************   When the doorbell interrupted her a few minutes later, she frowned as she opened the door. 'Let me guess, you've come to apologise.'   Danny Concannon shook his head. 'Nope. It's news. As soon as you went to the Memorial Day thing together, you started it up again.'   'I didn't have a lot of choice. I bullied Leo into attending. If I hadn't been there to hold him up, he wouldn't have managed to stay upright for the duration of the event.'   Danny was surprised. 'Really? He was that ill?'   'Yes.'   'Now that was newsworthy.'   'As was Leo's speech. Yet you chose not to write about that.'   'Yeah. Cos although you're prettier, the President is the President. We kinda thought we should give him top billing.'   Alex walked into the kitchen. 'Would you like a coffee?'   ****************   'Danny Concannon came to see me earlier.'   Leo groaned. 'Tell me you didn't talk to him.'   'No, Leo. I left him standing on the doorstep.'   Leo pulled a face. 'You invited him in. You gave him cookies.'   Alex frowned. 'That's spooky. Were you watching?'   'No. But if I had been, you wouldn't have given that man anything other than the time of day.'   'He's very charming.'   'He's a reporter, Alex. It's his job to be charming. That's how he gets his stories.'   'He told me the only reason we didn't make the front page the day after your speech on Memorial Day was because the President also gave a speech.'   'Mine was better than his.'   'I pointed this out to Danny, but he seemed to think people were more interested in hearing what the President had to say than they were in reading about you.'   'Pity the President didn't come with us last night.'   'Oh, I don't know. It's a very nice picture.'   'Alex...'   Alex stood behind Leo, holding his shoulders. 'I know. It's going to be difficult from now on. My father said...'   'He was here too? Please tell me they weren't here together.'   Alex laughed. 'That might have been interesting.'   'What did your father say?'   'He said I shouldn't see you any more, or put up with having a relationship which is dissected on the front page of the Post each day. He made his preference clear.'   Leo was suddenly nervous. 'And what did you decide?'   Alex walked in then, the picture in her hand. 'I decided I might quite like having some nice pictures of us to cut out and frame. It will save you having to buy me any more pictures at the gallery.'   Leo picked up the copy of the Post which from Alex had already cut the picture of the two of them. 'So this has an upside?'   'Apparently. I pointed out to the lovely Danny that, while I couldn't confirm whether or not he had your age correct, he seemed to have added a year to mine. He says he'll correct it tomorrow.'   Leo took a large mouthful of his coffee. 'Oh great. Will there be another picture?'   Alex wondered if Leo would realise she was joking. 'I didn't think to ask. I hope so. Pictures look so much nicer in pairs.'   Leo sighed. 'I knew Shakespeare was a big mistake.' Apparently he did. He got up and stretched uncomfortably, rubbing his lower back. 'Those chairs were hard.'   Alex scoffed. 'Don't blame Shakespeare for your bad back.'   Alex gave in then. 'Lay on the bed. I'll heat some oil.'   Leo flinched as Alex dripped a little of the warmed oil onto his bare skin. 'Does it have to be boiling?'   'It has to be warm, Leo, or it doesn't do as much good.'   'Okay.'   As he lay squirming under Alex's fingers as they penetrated deep into his flesh, Leo said: 'Now *this* is a story Concannon would die for.'   Alex pushed her fingers firmly into Leo's knotted shoulder muscles and he gasped.   Twisting round, he said crossly: 'You did that on purpose.'   Alex pushed his shoulder down. 'It's movements like that which strain your back. Lay still.'   'You're doing this for revenge. I just don't know what for.'   Alex tutted. 'Shh. Lay quietly. Take nice relaxing breaths.'   After a few minutes, Leo felt his eyelids becoming heavy. He forced himself to remain awake. 'How do I know you won't take advantage of me?'   Alex leaned over Leo as she stood up, kissing his warm shoulder. 'You don't.' End   Continued soon…                 Home Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index