Post “And it is Surely to Their Credit” By Kasey This is my first attempt at a post-ep in a long while, so don’t go comparing me to Sary, Queen of the Post-Eps! ::Grins::  Anyway…feedback yes, archive yes, just lemme know where.  I was very angry when Ainsley said she’d written some of the anti-Leo columns…But Mallory lives!  Leo at least mentioned her!  Yay! Okay, here’s my summary:  The red-headed daughter of a Democrat meets the blonde, leggy Republican. ~*~*~*~ “Who are you?” Mallory stood in the doorway of her father’s office, eyeing the new girl suspiciously. “Ainsley Hayes, and if I may ask, who are you?” “Mallory McGarry,” she said, doing as she often did when she wanted people to know who she was connected to – using her father’s last name instead of “O’Brian” as she usually did. “You’re Leo’s daughter?” “Yes I am.  And you are…?” “Deputy Deputy White House Counsel.” “The new Republican they hired?” “Yes, I am.” “Ah.” “I’m sorry, if it’s wrong of me to be in here, but the woman who I imagine is your father’s secretary told me I could wait in here while he was busy with something else that I assume is of great importance.” Mallory blinked at her.  “Your name sounds familiar…What did you do before this?” “I wrote columns on topics in which the Republicans oppose everything this White House stands for.” “So basically everything?” “Nearly that, yes.” Ainsley.  The name was familiar to Mallory.  She knew she had to have heard it before… There it was.  One of the articles slandering her father for something he’d given up seven years prior, stating that Otis the town drunk should not be so high on the political ladder.  She’d commented on the bizarre name, joking with a friend of hers that she was just mad that her parents had named her “Ainsley”. And now, in the presence of the woman who’d said such evil things about her father, she nearly saw red.  “You wrote an article about my father, didn’t you?” “Yes I did.” “About his drinking.” “Yes.” “Saying that no one who’d been a drunkard should be working so high on the political ladder.” “If you would permit me to explain –“ “I assume you think that it’s a liberal, Democrat thing.” “I think that what is a liberal, Democrat thing?” “Drinking too much.” “No, but if you would allow me –“ “Majority whip’s a recovering alcoholic, y’know that?  Except he’s only had 4 years out of rehab.  Maybe you should go slander him, eh?  Only that would be crossing party lines, wouldn’t it?  And what with you already working in a Democratic White House…I imagine that wouldn’t go over so well.” “If you would please let me finish-“ “It’s not just a liberal, leftist thing to do, Ainsley, and it’s not something one exactly chooses to do, and certainly not one that needs be thrown back in their face time and again, as it always is when the other side has an argument that won’t win.”  Mallory looked at Ainsley with fire in her eyes, seeing the girl slightly upset over the remarks.  “Ms. McGarry, if you would allow me to finish, I was going to say that I believe that your hostility toward me has less to do with my articles than you would like me to believe, and that I would like to state that I was doing the assignment given to me by my boss and I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with that.” Mallory glared at her, more angry than she had been in a long time, and unsure of why it was such ferocity in her.  “You mess with my father, you’re messing with me.  And as for following orders?  So was William Calley.  Doesn’t mean a single iota of it was right.”  She was tired of fighting with this woman, tired of the anger she was feeling bubble up inside her.  “I’m leaving now, I’ll wait outside for my father and probably talk to Margaret – and yes, she is my father’s secretary in the technical sense, but if you mean that as in she just answers phones and takes minutes at meetings, then you’re wrong.  Just because someone works for a person doesn’t mean they can’t have a bond closer than professionalism.”  Turning on her heel, Mallory left, leaving Ainsley staring after her and rather surprised. Leo walked in through the door which led to the Oval Office.  “I’m sorry, Ainsley, I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?” “No, Leo.” “Well then.  What do you need?”  “The file on the work which your staff did last year involving homosexuals in the military service.” “We didn’t get anywhere with it.” “I know, but Lionel wants me to look over it for something else that’s come up, he won’t tell me what it is, but I’m sure it’s important.” Leo stood and went to his filing cabinet, and after a few minutes unearthed the file.  “Here it is.” “Thank you.  Um…if you have an extra minute and you would permit me –“ “Ainsley, what have I told you about that?” “I’m sorry, Leo, I’ll leave.” “No.  I meant haven’t I told you that if everyone else in this White House barges in here with whatever they feel like telling me, you don’t have to ask if I permit you to say anything.  I’m not going to fire you for voicing opposition, that’s part of your job.” “Yes, sir.” “I thought we were over that, too.” “Leo,” she amended, then hesitated.  “I – “ She didn’t want to get into a fight involving family loyalty, for those never ended good, and usually were more of an enemy-maker than they were worth. “What?” “Nothing.” “Ainsley, it’s not as if it’s a problem for you to say something –“ “No.  It’s nothing, just…Your daughter’s here, she’s waiting outside.”