Author: Regency

Title: Slam!

Category: Angst/Violence/Drama

Pairing: Liz/Dean(OFC); Ellie/Nick(OFC); Jed/Abbey; Charlie/Zoey

Season/Spoilers: No season; puts one in the mind of "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen."

Summary: We are Bartlet women who will not be taken from those men that love us and God forbid, have died to protect us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron's POV

Slam! is the sound of a body hitting a hard surface. Slam! is the sound that you, the protector haven't done your job and protected the protectee. Slam!!! is the sound of about ten bodies hitting the pavement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gina's POV

Slam! is the sound I dread. Slam! is the sound I'll hear in my dreams for the rest of my days. Slam!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zoey's POV

It's been a good day for us. A good week, hell, you could get happy and say a good month. Things are wonderful. There's peace in-family. Always a good sign.

Charlie and I just announced our engagement at the same time as Ellie to Nick Vassar, a fellow medical resident at Johns Hopkins. Dad's ecstatic for us, but a duely sad about his last two baby birds leaving the nest. Liz, Annie, and Dean, Liz's husband came to visit. Dad's feeling better after that. He's knows we'll always return to the nest.

He invited us (the whole family) to a thing. Some impromptu concert at the Newseum. Yep, the same place the shooting occured. We all agreed to go. I mean, that feels like a million years ago. And, really, what are the odds of that happening again? Two-in-a-million? Try one-in-ten.

We should have had to go twenty times for this.

We only went twice...So much for your one-in-ten.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER

Zoey's POV

It was a great concert. The words the musician sang touched us greatly. Charlie and I had mutually and without argument decided to ask them to play at our wedding in December. Yep, we came up with a date too. It's surprising what you can accomplish with a bit of give and take.

We were just leaving the building, the same as last time. Mom and dad were first, flanked by both of their details. I was behind them with Charlie, Ellie was behind us with Nick, and Liz, Dean, and Annie were behind them.

We waved as we passed the ropeline, they love us. These are the people my father keeps coming to see. Not those full of hate who attended last time, but those who smile and yell their adoration of him. An adoration and respect he commands, demands of all those who serve at his pleasure.

I feel the hairs on my neck stand. I turn my head towards that building. That same building and realize I'm standing in the exact same place as before. I try to shake it off as deja vu, but the feeling of dread refuses to leave. Through the glint of a flashbulb, I see, just for a moment, a face in the window. That same window. And in those eyes I see that same the hatred I remember that act of so long ago reflecting. I don't have to see the gun to know there is one.

I don't know if it was me or one of the agents, but I hear someone yell, "GUN!" I recognize the frenzy for life immediately. No one has to be told twice. We've been here before.I instinctively look to my parents. Four different agents on each side dive for their respective charges, but they're too slow. Time's too slow. I zero in on my father, the President.

He doesn't duck or run for cover. He does what's been instinct to him for over thirty four years. He pulls my mother to his body and shields her as best he can from what I'm sure will be carnage. It is.

My perspective changes as the shots begin and I feel Charlie tuck me into his body and pull me to the ground. I can just make out Ellie's auburn hair from under Nick's chin, where he holds her head protectively. Annie and Liz huddle down in a pile covered by Dean.

Charlie holds me so tightly, breathing is becoming quite difficult. I look back to my father, he's still covering my mother. I've never seen her cling to him so tightly. I've never seen any of us cling to any men this way, but these are not just any men. These are our men. The men we love, our souls mates. An we will hold on as tight as is necessary to keep them with us, even if only for one more moment.

That moment is now.

Next Part