Sisters In Arms~Vigilance &Solace

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="03fc8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B>Post-ep for "Disaster Relief" </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#99CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Smiles, Tears, & Happy Endings</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Smiles, Tears, Happy Endings"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sisters Series"><U>Sisters Series</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sisters in Arms"><U>Sisters in Arms</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sisters in Arms: First Impressions/New B"><U>Sisters in Arms: First Impressions/New Beginnings</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id208.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sisters In Arms A New Chapter"><U>Sisters In Arms~ A New Chapter</U></A>   |   <B>Sisters In Arms~Vigilance &Solace</B>   |   <A HREF="id228.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sisters In Arms Courage Compassion"><U>Sisters In Arms- Courage& Compassion</U></A></div> <div> Sisters In Arms ~ Vigilance & Solace</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> Donna stopped by Carol's desk early Wednesday evening, and as soon as Carol finished the call she was on, looked up at her with a weary smile. </div> <bR> <div> " Hey Donna. Do you need her?" </div> <bR> <div> " If she's got a minute. If not, I can catch up with her later." </div> <bR> <div> " She's got some free time- she'd probably enjoy a diversion right about now." </div> <bR> <div> Donna arched a brow at Carol,her eyes full of questions. Donna was aware something had happened during the trip to Oklahoma. Something that had caused an almost twenty-four hour delay in their return, but the details were a bit hazy. Of course, Donna had been a little pre-occupied with 'Josh-watch' to care too much. In response to her inquiring gaze, Carol merely shrugged and said, " It was a...difficult trip. " </div> <bR> <div> " I'll just pop in for a minute, Donna said, tilting her head in the direction of CJ's closed door. </div> <bR> <div> " Okay. "</div> <bR> <div> Donna tapped on CJ's door and poked her head inside. CJ was reclining on her couch, her hand resting across her eyes.</div> <bR> <div> " Quiet or company?" Donna asked, clearly unable to tell which CJ would prefer. </div> <bR> <div> " Company. I'm sick of my own," she replied, sitting up with a heavy sigh, curling her legs under her in unspoken invitation to Donna to take a seat next to her. </div> <bR> <div> " I would have thought you would be craving solitude after your extended sojourn in Oklahoma." </div> <bR> <div> " It had me craving solitude from the White House press corps, that's for sure. I never knew a little change in plans could turn a bunch of supposed adults into an unruly mob of whiny, 'are we there yet?' eight-year olds. Anyway... it's done now." </div> <bR> <div> Donna caught the melancholy note in CJ's voice at those last few words, and knew that CJ wasn't exactly referring to the trip. There was something going on, something that had affected CJ deeply, and Donna wondered if perhaps she needed to talk it out. </div> <bR> <div> " I'm sure it was hard. Not just the logistics of dealing with an unexpected overnight stay, but... all you saw and experienced there," Donna observed, hoping that if CJ was looking for someone to talk to that she would understand the opening that Donna was giving her. </div> <bR> <div> CJ glanced at Donna, a grateful smile on her face as she silently acknowledged the offer, while at the same time declining it. </div> <bR> <div> " Yeah. It was hard on everyone- especially the people who survived it and have to get on with the business of coping and rebuilding. Speaking of coping.... how's Josh?" </div> <bR> <div> " Feeling lonely, disillusioned, frustrated and friendless," Donna replied sadly. CJ was probably the only person, other than Toby, that Donna would be that frank with regarding Josh's present state of mind. </div> <bR> <div> CJ's eyes rounded a little in shock and surprise at the last item on Donna's list. </div> <bR> <div> " Friendless? He's got friends! You, me, Toby, Le...he really feels that way?" </div> <bR> <div> Donna couldn't help but notice how CJ hesitated over Leo when she was naming Josh's friends, and wondered if CJ was feeling as uncharitable towards Leo as she was these days. In fairness, Donna knew that Leo had reason to give Josh a smacking around over the Carrick thing, but Donna was of the opinion that he had gone way overboard. It was one thing to lower Josh's visibility for a while, it was another to cut him out of the loop- to not even want to hear Josh's input and advice... it was like shutting him out in the cold, but ordering him to keep his nose pressed against the glass. </div> <bR> <div> " He doesn't feel very confident about that right now, CJ. At least not outside of a very tight circle. He got a call from a headhunter, wondering if he was planning on joining the private sector- and for a minute there, I think he was toying with the idea. " </div> <bR> <div> " Well... speaking as one who's been there, I understand the temptation." </div> <bR> <div> " What pulled you back?" Donna asked, remembering the time during the last campaign, when CJ had felt so distraught over so many things that she was ready to pick up her marbles and go home. </div> <bR> <div> " Things changed. Not dramatically, but enough to make it okay." </div> <bR> <div> Donna didn't want to ask what it had taken to pull CJ back into the fold, although she had her suspicions. </div> <bR> <div> " Well, things are changing- just not in any positive way that I can see." </div> <bR> <div> " You're talking about Angela Blake? " </div> <bR> <div> " Not just that. It's not just that Josh has to take a backseat for a while- it's...." </div> <bR> <div> " The mood?" CJ ventured. </div> <bR> <div> " Yeah, I guess that's the best way to put it. I think he could take the cold-shoulder he's getting in some circles, and the 'keep-your-chin-up' platitudes in stride. It's the big chill he's getting from Leo that's really getting to him." </div> <bR> <div> " Explain," CJ requested, her brow furrowing in concern. </div> <bR> <div> " Josh recognizes that the Carrick thing was a gamble- one that he lost- but he's been going crazy trying to figure out a way to fix it or minimize it- anything to prove himself, but Leo's basically shut him out." </div> <bR> <div> " And if he can't get to Leo, then he can't do whatever he needs to do to redeem himself," CJ added, finishing Donna's thought.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> " Exactly." Donna nodded, happy that CJ understood. When Donna had mentioned Leo's attitude earlier to Toby, Toby had merely repeated the advice he had given Josh earlier: 'he needs to keep his head down and take his medicine. Leo'll get over it.' Donna repeated this to CJ and after a moment of hesitation she replied. </div> <bR> <div> " I hate to say it- and I know it's not what you want to hear, but I think Toby may be right. In the meantime we'll try to do what we can to remind him that it won't be like this forever." </div> <bR> <div> " Yeah... I tried that a little earlier. I brought out my 'what a shame' file," Donna told her, trying to hold on to that hint of a spark that she saw in Josh's eyes as she thumbed through it. It was almost as if she could see the wheels turning in his head as considered it. It was only for a moment, but that was a start. </div> <bR> <div> " Oh yeah, I remember you telling me about that. It was that night we were moaning about how fast everything seems to fly past us... all those lofty goals we had before we got so mired down in all the day to day...crap we have to deal with." </div> <bR> <div> " That's the one." </div> <bR> <div> " How was it received?" CJ asked, wondering if Josh, in his present disillusioned state, would see it as anything other than busy work. </div> <bR> <div> " I don't know," Donna shrugged, suddenly feeling very tired, both from the physical and mental stress of the last few days. " It may turn into something... or it may just go back in the file cabinet- until it gets lost in the shuffle again." </div> <bR> <div> CJ looked at Donna closely for a moment- looking past the good face she put on for everyone else's benefit- especially Josh- and saw the truth in the words she had said to the President on board Air Force One. They were all scared. They had been scared for some time- probably since the night Zoey was kidnapped and everything seemed to go to hell at once. She recognized the magnitude of their naivete in assuming that once Zoey was back safe and sound and the President was back in his rightful place that everything would go back to normal. How foolishly hopeful they had been. This was worse than what had happened in Rosslyn, with an after-ripple that was ten times worse. This time there was no respectful deference to their tragedy. This time the wolves were circling, wanting to finish the kill while they were still vulnerable. Deep down she knew that's what had sparked the worst of her fears and finally compelled her to speak her mind to the President. Oddly enough, after she had done it- shared her fears and concerns- she felt better. Not a lot- but enough to keep going. In her heart of hearts she was hoping that it was enough to wake him up, to bring him back to them. They needed him more desperately than he knew. He was why they were here... what kept them here despite all the trials and tribulations, he made the sacrifices worthwhile. </div> <bR> <div> " You know what? I have a feeling things are going to change... for the better this time. Don't ask me why. It's just a feeling. Can you hold on to that for a while?" CJ asked gently, hoping she wasn't giving Donna false hope- or herself for that matter. </div> <bR> <div> " I guess so... I'll have to- I'm not ready to give up yet, not without a fight anyway," Donna replied with a quick, rueful smile. " In the meantime, I guess we'll..." </div> <bR> <div> " Watch out and care for each other. Get our game together and show the bastards what we're made of." </div> <bR> <div> " I can do that. We all can," Donna declared, her smile looking a bit brighter, the tiniest bit more hopeful. </div> <bR> <div> " Good- now, let's see if we can find something good in the blessed mini-fridge." </div> <bR> <div> " Now you're talking," Donna replied with a chuckle, and hearing her laughter, CJ felt a little better herself. They would get through this... all of them. Together. </div> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> The End</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <div>    </div> <div>  </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>