The
Years That Go By
by Heidi H.
Disclaimers-These are not my
characters and I am making no money off of them. The song doesn’t belong to me
either. It belongs to Vanessa Williams, Will Jennings, Sony, and Simon Climie.
Ratings-PG, July Challenge Song Fic
The song is "Oh How The Years Go
By" by Vanessa Williams from the album "Next".
****
Set-Audiotape being played over the radio after a tragedy.
"We are breaking into your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this
announcement from the National News Service." the DJ stated without emotion.
"We have recently learned that
former President Josiah Bartlet, Leo McGarry, Josh Lyman, and Toby Ziegler
were in a boat crash earlier this evening. The boat’s captain, Sam Seaborn was
also severely injured in the crash. He is at Memorial Hospital listed in
critical condition. All six Secret Service Agents on board were also killed in
the crash. He was the only survivor. The crash is under investigation and they
will have a statement in a few hours." the news anchor commented.
"Our prayers are with the families
tonight. As a tribute, we are bringing you Annie Benson’s special audio
recording of her book ‘Tears And Triumphs’. The book which graces store
shelves on Tuesday has been on the list of books that are sure to make a
splash with the mainstream public. These are her impressions of the things
that she has seen close up. We also want to point out that Miss Benson worked
in the White House as a Press Liaison for the Bartlet White House. These are
her own personal recollections and observations. Thank you for joining us
tonight in this final tribute." the dj stated again without emotion.
In our times of trouble
We only had ourselves
Nobody else
No one was there to save us
We had to save ourselves
The hearings were the worst anyone had ever seen. The special prosecutor put
every single one of them on tv. He wanted the country to see the fall that
these people would be taking, live. The prosecutor ripped into everyone. He
brought out their worst and most embarrassing moments, only to be shut down by
these dedicated people. No one would forget when Donna Moss told the
prosecutor that her life before Bartlet wasn’t any of his damn business. No
one expected the little mousy blond to stand up to the big bad Republican.
And when the storms came through
They found me and you
Back together
And when the sun would shine
It was yours and mine
Yours and mine forever
The death of Delores Landingham brought many things into perspective. People
realized how fragile life was and that they needed to live life to its fullest
and make sure that they had no regrets. Donna Moss was asked out by three
separate men that she worked with, but there was only one that held her heart
in his hand. CJ Cregg found two men also vying for her attention and knew the
one that she wanted. People were acting on their feelings for the first time
in a long time. The presidential health crisis brought to light that there are
things that people are not entitled to know. Some things are just meant to be
kept private and personal.
Oh how the years go by
Oh how the love brings tears to my eyes
All through the changes, the soul never dies
We fight, we laugh, we cry
As the years go by
During the hearings, we saw how people changed. Donna Moss had unshed tears in
her eyes on the first day of her first appearance. No one would have thought
she’d last under the intense and very personal questioning. Not even Sam,
Josh, Leo, or Toby thought she’d last for the four weeks that she was on the
stand. And when she told the prosecutor that her life before Bartlet wasn’t
any of his damn business, they and the rest of the country were stunned. By
the time that the hearings were drawing to a close, the country had watched a
distinct change in these people. They may have started out rocky, but by the
end, they were determined and fierce people who were ready, willing, and able
to fight the good fight.
There were times we stumbled
They thought they had us down
We came around
How we rolled and rambled
We got lost and we got found
Now we’re back on solid ground
The gunfire came quickly. People hit the ground, pulling others with them.
Some were saved in that moment from becoming a causality. Others were not as
lucky. Josh Lyman was wounded during his tenure with President Bartlet. He
will always carry the scar of what it cost him. Charlie Young has to live with
the fact that the color of his skin and who he was dating, put so many people
into the line of fire. People who were his friends. The shooting changed a lot
of people that night and it changed this country.
We took everything
All our times would bring
In this world of danger
‘Cause when your heart is strong
You know you’re not alone
In this world of strangers
The hearings were the only thing on tv. Everyone wanted a thing. Everyone
wanted to delve into these people’s lives and find out what they were about.
The senior staff and their assistants presented a united front. They all
answered the questions that were asked. No one used their fifth amendment
right. These people showed the country that they had nothing to hide and
wanted to have the country hear their side of the facts. Many people were
surprised that these high profile people wanted to tell the truth and in fact
did tell the truth. It was something to be seen.
If we loose our way
Any night or day
Well, we’ll always be
I’m there for you
And I know you’re there for me
Leo and Margaret had a bond that went beyond the traditional boss/assistant.
She was the one who had been with him during those years of drug and alcohol
induced hazes. He had depended on her so much and she gave service above and
beyond the call. It was something that no one else could understand, but the
two people who were closer than anything.
Josh and Donna shared more than any
other team and they were a team. He bounced ideas off of her and took what she
said to heart, not that he ever let her know it. She was the one who handled
his over indulgences of alcohol and when he showed up at her place, she never
turned him away. She was the one who took care of him during the recovery
after the shooting. Donna was the one who made sure that he went to the
hospital and had his hand looked at when he put it through the window. Josh
was the one guy who could make her laugh and cry all at the same time. It was
something to see.
As the years go by
You know you’re not alone
In this world of strangers
After the shooting and the hearings, the staff was the one thing that was
constant in the Bartlet administration. Sam, CJ, Leo, Josh, Toby, Donna,
Carol, Margaret, Ginger, and Bonnie were the glue. They got through things
with determination and vigor. All of them realized that tomorrow it would be
better and even better the next day and the best was yet to come.
"If you are just joining us tonight, you have been listening to Annie Benson’s
audio recording of her book ‘Tears And Triumphs’. We are playing this tonight
as a tribute to former President Josiah Bartlet, Leo McGarry, Josh Lyman, and
Toby Ziegler. All were killed earlier this evening in a boat crash, along with
all of the Secret Service Agents on board. The Coast Guard will be holding a
press briefing in about two hours. Sam Seaborn, the captain of the boat, was
the only survivor and he is listed in critical condition. Right now our hearts
are filled with prayers for the families of the people on that boat, including
the Bartlets, Donna Moss-Lyman, Ginger Seaborn, and CJ Cregg-Ziegler. We will
be running the audio book all evening." the DJ stated, more emotional than
ever.
