West Wing Fan Fiction - Backpack Tales
Different Angle
Synopsis: Santos needs a running mate.
Characters: Ensemble
Episode/Spoilers: Missing scene - 2162 Votes
Rating: G
The office was in uproar when they returned from Matt's supposedly final speech. Matt smiled, it made a change to see the staff looking happy after the months of stress campaigning bought about. He looked at his campaign manager, who was grinning, and he couldn't help but grin back. For the first few weeks he worked with Josh, he'd wondered whether the other man had known how to smile.
"I'm guessing I did good," Matt said, "even you're smiling," he teased Josh. "So what now?"
"Now we need to work out how the hell we're gonna pull this off," Josh replied.
"Look at the TV pictures," Ned told him. "They love us."
"They do," Josh agreed. "But they still have to vote for us."
"Trust you to put a downer on our happy mood," Rhonna chastised.
"It's my job," Josh replied with a smile. "Bringing people down and breaking their spirit."
"And you're very good at it."
"Josh," Bram shouted. "Phone, line two."
"Who is it?" Josh asked.
"A woman. POTUS... I think?" Bram said.
"You think?" Josh asked as he pressed two. "Josh Lyman."
"Hello, Joshua."
"Hey, Debbie." Josh signaled for a bit a quiet in the office.
"You have to explain to your staff who POTUS is," Debbie told him. "He wants to speak with you."
"Okay," Josh replied nervously. "Do I need to suit up?" He knew neither the president nor Leo were going to be happy with him after what had just happened.
"I'll let you judge that for yourself," Debbie replied as she put him through.
"Josh."
"Mr President." The office fell almost silent at Josh's words as the staff turned to watch him.
"Good speech."
"Yes, Sir, it was," Josh agreed.
"Who do you need to secure the nomination?"
"I'm sorry, Sir?"
"Which delegates do you need?" Jed repeated.
"The teachers unions, Ernie Gambelli," Josh replied. "Sir, I don't understand."
"It was a good speech, Josh. I'm sold. Bring Gambelli to see me, I think I need to talk to him."
"Yes, Sir. Thank you." Josh hung up and stared at the phone for a second before turning to Ned. "Find me Ernie Gambelli."
"What happened?" Matt asked as Ned started phoning round.
"The president wants to talk to Gambelli," Josh replied.
"He's endorsing us?" Helen asked.
"Yes," Josh agreed. "Ned, I need Gambelli," he shouted.
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Forty Minutes Later
Matt hung up the phone and shook his head. He wasn't especially surprised that Baker had turned them down, but he was still disappointed.
Josh was equally disappointed, but for a different reason to Matt. Matt liked Baker and would have enjoyed working with him, Josh on the other hand knew that they needed someone with Baker's experience and standing in the party. "Don't take this the wrong way," Josh told Matt.
"I don't like the sound of this," Matt sighed.
"You're a three term congressman," Josh continued. "You need someone bigger in the party, someone who's been around Washington a lot longer."
Matt couldn't argue with that, he knew it was one of reservations some the delegates had had about him. "Any ideas?" he asked.
"No," Josh replied with a sigh. He'd spent the last ten minutes mentally going through names and one by one crossing them off the list he'd made.
"We need a list of senators and congressman," Ned said.
"This is stupid," Rhonna said. "There has to be someone who stands out, without us having to put a pin in a list of names."
Matt looked at his staff and smiled. "There is," he said. "We just need to come at this from a different angle." He looked at Josh. "I've had this idea running through my head all day. But I don't know what you'll think."
"Who?" Josh asked.
"He's definitely bigger in the party than me, he's bigger in the party than you," Matt told Josh. "He's a former Air Force pilot. He's been in the cabinet, worked in the White House," Matt hesitated, "He may not be squeaky clean, but hell that makes him more human in my mind."
The staff were looking confused, but Matt could see a hint of realization dawning in Josh's face.
"Who?" Ned asked.
"Seriously?" Josh said at the same time.
"Sure. He's a great politician and from what I've seen, he's a good man. All we have to do is find a way to persuade him."
"I could talk to the president," Josh offered. "If you're completely sure."
"I am. You agree?" Matt grinned. "Or is that a stupid question?"
"I'll make the call," Josh smiled.
"Who?" Rhonna asked.
"Leo McGarry," Matt told her.
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Twenty Minutes Later
Josh knocked on the suite door before entering. He wasn't entirely sure how the president was going to react to Matt's idea, but he knew he had to run it past him before he spoke to Leo.
"Josh," Jed smiled. "Have a seat."
"Mr President," Josh sat down. "I wanted to thank you for talking to Gambelli."
"I may not know much about Matt Santos, but he's a better man and a better candidate than Russell."
"He is," Josh agreed.
"I know, otherwise you would never left the White House to run his campaign. Have you chosen your VP?"
"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Josh replied. "I may need a bit of help convincing him to take the job."
"You want me to make a call?"
"Not yet, I just need to know whether I have your support or not. And also hints about how to persuade him may help," Josh smiled.
"Who is it?"
"Leo." Josh needn't have worried about Jed's reaction, he was grinning. "Good idea you think?" Josh asked.
"Excellent idea," Jed smiled. "Yours?"
"No, the congressman's. Took me by surprise. Now I'm not sure how to get him to agree."
"Don't ask him," Jed said. "Tell him."
"Yeah," Josh nodded.
Jed smiled at the unsure look on Josh's face. "You've known him most of your life," he said.
"I've never been the one calling the shots before," Josh replied. "He's always come to me with advice."
"You know, Josh, the say you've truly grown up, when your parents come to you for advice," Jed told him. "Leo knows you don't need him advising you anymore. Maybe it's time to turn the tables, to grow up," he smiled.
"Yeah," Josh agreed a little unsurely.
"'Course," Jed continued. "If that doesn't work, just kick his ass all round the school yard," he laughed.
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Fifteen Minutes Later
"We still got to line up a VP," Josh told Leo as he sat down.
"You ask Baker?"
"Yeah, he begged off, doesn't want to put his wife through it."
Leo continued to look through the papers on the table. "I'm guessing Russell isn't on the short list?"
"That was a none starter with the congressman," Josh agreed.
"You want me to help you work up a list?" Leo asked.
"No, we got it narrowed down to the guy we want," Josh replied. "I'm just not sure he's gonna accept."
"You want the president to pick up the phone, push your guy along?"
"I called the president. He told me to kick the guy's ass all over the school yard if it came to that," Josh smiled.
Leo laughed. "So who is it?"
"You," Josh replied as he stood up.
Leo watched, dumbstruck, as Josh walked away. The younger man was almost through the doors before Leo found his voice. "Josh," he called.
Josh turned to face Leo. "Yeah?"
"You can't just come in here, tell me that and then walk away."
Josh closed the door again before continuing. "I'm just the messenger, Leo."
"And you've spoken to the president?"
"Yeah," Josh agreed.
"And he told you to kick my ass all over the school yard if I didn't agree?" Leo asked with a small smile.
"He did," Josh nodded.
"You know this is a ridiculous idea," Leo said.
"Why?" Josh asked.
"I'd be bringing a lot of baggage, Josh. A divorced, recovering alcoholic, who's recently had a heart attack."
"No secrets though," Josh replied and then smiled. "The congressman likes you, he wants you, Jed Bartlet thinks it's a great idea, as do the DNC and so do I. What else do you need?"
Leo watched Josh for a second and then nodded. "I'd better go and talk to Congressman Santos then, 'cause I'm not sure you could kick anyone's ass, I wouldn't want to see you embarrass yourself."
Josh grinned. "Come on then he's waiting. Well, actually, he's trying to build a fort out of Lego. At least I think it's a fort, could be an elaborate house ...."
~End~