Author: Regency
Title: My Allegiance
Rating: PG
Category: Drama, friendship, UST
Pairing: Jed/CJ
Season/Spoiler: Anything before "A Separation of Powers.
Warning(s): language
Summary: The First Lady has always been a friend of mine, but my job is to protect the president. And when she's the one I have to protect him from, we can consider that friendship null and void. She may have my friendship, but he has my total, unconditional allegiance.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Leaning Tower of Claudia Jean
CJ's POV
I move quietly behind the President, just behind the tail agent of his detail. We've been walking all day; you know, kissing babies and shaking hands. Making promises and making plans.
Okay, enough about that. I just have to say...I. Am. Exhausted. My. Feet. Hurt. I'd swear the way they're protesting every step, I'm beginning to worry that they're going to boycott this whole thing and go out from under me. Not that I'd blame them. I barely hold back a sigh of resignation. I really want to go home.
The President doesn't look well. I guess 'well' is kind of a relative term these days. Since Zoey and the First Lady left for New Hampshire over a month ago, President Bartlet has been a slip of a shadow of his former self. His walk lacks purpose, his eyes are missing that sparkle, that shine. His voice doesn't have that absolute richness that sends chill up and down my spine. He suddenly seems mortal again. Mortal, fragile, breakable. That isn't him. It never, as long as I have known him, has been him. It's chills me to the core to realize that his weakness is not his illness, but four people. The minds of four people. The opinions of people. These four people are Abigail Bartlet, Elizabeth Bartlet, Eleanor Bartlet, and Zoey Bartlet. None of their minds or opinions are clear. At least, I dont think so. And this fact alone has our country on the brink of not having a president. 'Cause he's either going to drop or he's going to quit. Or I am. I haven't decided yet.
He's walking strangely today. Stranger than lately. He's limping and unfortunately no one thought to bring his cane. Damn, that's always been the First Lady's job. We're going to need someone else to meet his personal needs such as this.
I'm guessing the job falls to me. Great, yeah, I deserve a raise.
~~~~~~~~~
The Attack of the Inevitable
CJ's POV
I've decisively taken on the role of First Lady, but, you know without all the travelling. I make sure the President takes his pills on time, everyday. I make sure he goes to bed to bed no later than midnight and that's only if I'm there with him. I send him a wake up call fifteen minutes before Charlie to give him time to start getting up.
I rub his back when it starts to hurt. I'm who he turns to when it's too all much. I've even started going to mass with him just so I can keep an eye on him. I'm everywhere he is. So much so that it's been speculated in the media that we're an 'item,' So not so...I mean, not that I would mind, but that would be assuming that he and the First Lady are no more and I certainly won't be the one to assume such a thing, much less publicize it.
The most damning of all the evidence is footage of us holding hands as we walk the red carpet at some state dinner. Yes, I admit we were actually holding hands the whole night. A fact that no one and I mean no one has missed. It wasn't because of any malicious or adulterous intent. It was because the President felt like he was about to drop and he needed something to hold on to. I was the obvious choice.
So, I guess you could say that I have pledged my allegiance to him. I will not leave his side until his wife returns and if she doesn't...I never will. Like I said to the press recently:
"The First Lady has always been a friend of mine, but my job is to protect the president. And when she's the one I have to protect him from, we can consider that friendship null and void. She may have my friendship, but he has my total, unconditional allegiance."
I guess, you could say I love him a little. Or a lot. Yeah...a whole lot.
